To mark World Asthma Day 2025, the Global Asthma Network (GAN) launches the Global Asthma Report 2025: Patient Stories , a compelling collection of stories from people living with asthma around the world. The report shines a spotlight on the daily challenges individuals face – from delayed diagnoses to unaffordable or unavailable inhaled medicines – as well as the life-changing benefits of timely and effective treatment.
More than 250 million people worldwide are living with asthma – a significant global health burden. This year's World Asthma Day theme, "Make inhaled treatments accessible for all," reinforces the urgency of ensuring universal access to affordable, quality-assured asthma medicines. Despite decades of evidence showing that inhaled treatments — including bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids — reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and prevent deaths, access remains inadequate in many low- and middle-income countries.
Asthma inhalers are included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines , are core medicines in the WHO package of essential noncommunicable disease (NCD) interventions for primary health care , and are included in the WHO "Best Buys" for NCDs .
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is launching a campaign to raise awareness of these gaps and is calling on Heads of State and global health leaders to invest in solutions that make inhaled treatments available to everyone who needs them.
The upcoming fourth United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs, to be held in September 2025, offers a pivotal moment for Heads of State and Government, UN partners, Ministers of Health, civil society and donors to strengthen existing commitments to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030.
"By prioritizing equitable access to medicines and strengthening primary healthcare systems, countries can not only meet global NCD targets but also enjoy significant economic and social returns," said José Luis Castro, WHO Director General's Special Envoy for Chronic Respiratory Diseases. "Improved asthma care leads to better health outcomes, enhanced education performance, and increased participation in the labour market."
WHO continues to lead global efforts to address chronic respiratory diseases. Through its Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD), WHO works with partners such as FIRS, GAN and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), to strengthen global advocacy and technical support for countries.
"The work of our longstanding, valued partners is vital," said Dr Sarah Rylance, technical lead for chronic respiratory diseases at WHO. "Together, we are amplifying critical evidence-based messages and driving progress to ensure that every person with asthma – no matter where they live – can breathe freely."
WHO is currently updating the guidance on the diagnosis and management of asthma in primary care. Up-to-date, evidence-based global recommendations are essential to support countries to prioritise effective asthma treatment within their national health system planning and policy development.
