Goal Set to Reduce World Childhood Asthma Death by 50%

The millions of children who suffer from asthma are the people to whom the first World Asthma Day, which takes place Friday, is being dedicated.

The theme of the event is "Help Our Children Breathe," and the event organizers have set among their goals to reduce the number of children who die each year from asthma by 50% in the near term. The Global Initiative for Asthma also wants parents, physicians, public health officials and national organizations to work toward reducing the number of kids hospitalized due to asthma by 25% and to reduce the number of school days lost to asthma by 50%.

"Asthma is truly a global problem - a burden to the world," says Romain Pauwels, the initiative's chairman. "World Asthma Day will act as a catalyst for activities to reduce the burden."

As many as 25,000 children die each year from asthma, which is growing rapidly throughout the world for reasons that are not quite clear. The breathing disorder is, according to the initiative, the single most common chronic disease causing kids to miss school - and 35% of the children with asthma suffer pain and discomfort as a result of the disease.

"By looking at the broader picture, we can learn from the experiences of other countries and share our ideas on good practice," Pauwels says.

The Global Initiative for Asthma was formed by the World Health Organization and the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The initiative is joining with the European Respiratory Society in sponsoring the international awareness day.