April showers bring May flowers and May also means we are recognizing World Asthma Day (WAD). WAD was first designated in May of 1998. Since then, the first Tuesday of May has a day of organized events to increase and improve asthma awareness around the world. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) organizes the event and develops a theme each year. Previous themes for WAD have been, “Uncovering Asthma Misconceptions,” “Closing Gaps in Asthma Care,” “Enough Asthma Deaths,” and “You Can Control Your Asthma.”  Raising awareness regarding asthma helps to debunk common myths such as people with asthma should refrain from exercise, asthma is a childhood disease or asthma is infectious. None of these are true. However, misunderstanding persists.

The 2025 WAD theme is “Make Inhaled Treatments Accessible for ALL.” Every person with asthma should receive inhaled corticosteroid medication and, or in combination with, reliever medication. 260 million people globally have asthma. 450,000 deaths occur throughout the world every year. There is a lack of availability or prohibitive costs for medications, specifically inhaled medications, in low-middle-income countries. Thus, 96% of asthma deaths occur in these countries.

During the first World Asthma Day in 1998 more than 35 countries acknowledged the day with asthma awareness and education events. In 1998, WAD was celebrated in conjunction with the first World Asthma Meeting in Barcelona, Spain. Year after year, global participation in WAD has increased with now more than 100 countries promoting the day worldwide. GINA creates graphics which can be used to help raise awareness, and they request that participating hospitals, clinics, communities, schools, etc. share their activities surrounding WAD. The links below are provided by https://ginasthma.org. You can find the graphic for 2025 as well as submit your activities through these links.

GINA-WAD-2025-Social-Image.jpg (2400×1500)

 World Asthma Day Activities – Global Initiative for Asthma – GINA

GINA also provides suggestions for education and awareness raising activities that may be helpful to promote understanding about asthma. A few include:

• Hold an open day or a free-of-charge asthma screening clinic at your local hospital.
• Organize a diagnosis, education, and treatment bus tour to reach remote areas.
• Organize a hike for people with asthma and their friends, led by a health care provider who can educate the group about managing asthma in an outdoor environment.
• Host a panel discussion for parents & teachers in which two or three parents of children with asthma discuss their experiences with asthma control. Invite a local pediatric asthma specialist to be part of the discussion.
• Publicize World Asthma Day with posters, billboards, stickers, or ribbons.
• Create a website about your campaign.
• Contact politicians and celebrities with asthma to support your cause.
• Locate people with asthma who could help you tell your story to the media.

Working together we have the power to raise awareness about asthma. Asthma is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases. It affects people of all ages and ethnicities. Spotlighting asthma provides opportunities for education on causes, signs, symptoms, triggers and available treatments for asthma. We can help improve the lives of people living with asthma and reduce the burden of this all-too-common disease.

Resources

World Asthma Day 2025 – Global Initiative for Asthma – GINA

https://wecapable.com/world-asthma-day-theme-objectives-history-importance/

Author: Heather Murgatroyd, BA, RRT, CPFT

Senior Clinical Specialist