Last update:
09-Mar-2024

Asthma is a global public health problem characterized by a chronic inflammation of the airways, affecting all age groups. It is estimated that 334 million people worldwide are currently concerned and the number could increase by an additional 100 million in 2025. While some analysts had speculated that the death rate from asthma would decrease, initial data indicates an increase which has led to significant morbidity, resulting in a measurable and sustained increase in emergency room visits, as uncontrolled asthma has been known to have serious consequences on patients' health and has been estimated to cause greater numbers of cases of disability in asthma patients. As supported by current medical literature, bronchial asthma affects all ages and has an increasing incidence in many developing countries, while asthma exacerbation is known to cause significant social, psychological problems to patients and increases health costs. Studies confirm that air pollution can worsen asthma symptoms, while epidemiological studies report that long-term exposure to air pollution is often associated with adverse symptoms such as wheezing, productive cough, accompanied by expectoration. This particular study highlights first, the social burden of the effects of asthma on society. Second, it also exposes the financial burden as an important measure of its impact on society. During the COVID-19 period, asthma costs have been shown overall to be increasing while various measures and cost savings measures have been implemented as disease control declines, through proper management of asthma patients, strengthening the link between public health and public policy. Targeted education of asthma patients is important in primary health care (PHC) and can be attributed to better compliance and treatment efficiency in PHC, leading to better compliance and treatment effectiveness.

Key words: Asthma, Asthma costs, Incidence and prevalence of asthma, Primary health care, Public health, Public policy, School asthma.