World Asthma Day 2017
In support of World Asthma Day, May 2, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American Thoracic Society is a founding member, urges more availability to effective medications and health care for persons with asthma.
It is estimated that between 300 and 400 million people worldwide suffer from asthma and about 250,000 people die each year – that is 1300 deaths every day. Most of them occur in low- and middle income countries. Asthma affects 14 percent of all children worldwide and its prevalence is rising. It is a major cause of school absenteeism and preventable hospital admissions.
