Call to action: Addressing asthma diagnosis and treatment gaps in India
Rajesh Swarnakar, Raja Dhar
Abstract
In comparison to the worldwide burden of asthma, although India contributes to 13% of the total asthma prevalence, it has a threefold higher mortality rate and more than twofold higher DALYs, indicating a substantial gap in asthma diagnosis and treatment. Asthma causes significant suffering, affecting people's quality of life and draining the country's resources; therefore, we must devise ways and means to fill these gaps. The most successful and cost-efficient strategy to battle asthma is to form strong partnerships between patients, the general public, the government, the pharmaceutical industry and non-governmental organisations. This necessitates a comprehensive approach that involves raising awareness, developing universally applicable recommendations, increasing access to high-quality asthma care, and other measures. The purpose of this article was to review the existing scenario of asthma management in India and the factors that contribute to it and devise unique and all-encompassing strategies to fill these gaps.