The most recent figures reveal that at least 10 percent of South Africans have asthma with many still dying unnecessarily, especially people in poorer households.

Today is World Asthma Day, prompting calls to ensure that patients have access to standardized treatment which has shown to dramatically decrease deaths.

Asthma deaths are almost all preventable and a 2004 report by the Global Initiative for Asthma found that South Africa has the world’s fourth highest asthma death rate among five- to 35-year-olds. Out of every 100 000 South Africans with asthma, 18,5 die of the illness.

Asthma therapy is freely available in the government health service. The most effective means of controlling asthma is to use a preventer pump containing an anti-inflammatory. The most cost-effective way of relieving an attack is a pump with a bronchodilator.  
A study by the University of Pretoria to understand the impact (including the impact on health-related quality of life) of asthma on South African asthmatics found that patients were not accessing treatment of were being inappropriately treated.

The study surveyed doctors and pharmacists in South Africa who in turn got patients to complete questionnaires.

The results showed that poor therapy and poor patient adherence had an enormous impact on the health-related quality of life of South Africa’s asthmatics.

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) said that 300-million people in the world suffered from asthma, and there were over 250 000 asthma-related deaths each year.

Studies looking at the severity of asthma showed that by implementing a standardized treatment regimen it dramatically decreased incidents for the majority of patients while the number of emergency room visits and hospitalisations decreased by more than 70%.

The Union said large epidemiological studies have shown that asthma is on the rise throughout the world.

This increase is mostly in low- and middle-income countries, where access to treatment – even to the essential asthma drugs recommended by the World Health Organization – is particularly difficult and costly.