The World Health Organisation (WHO) Special Envoy on chronic respiratory diseases, José Luis Castro, has called for global action to close gaps in asthma treatment and patient access.

He said millions continued to suffer despite the availability of effective medicines.

Mr. Castro told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that while effective treatments such as inhaled corticosteroids exist, access remains inconsistent, particularly in low and middle-income countries.

He noted that progress in science had not translated into equitable care in asthma, saying, “Today, we have the science, we have the medicine, yet for too many, the distance between life-saving treatment and the patient remains far too great."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that asthma affected 363 million people in 2023, resulting in about 442,000 preventable deaths annually.

It further indicates that most asthma-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems face challenges in early diagnosis, medicine availability, and long-term patient management.

Mr. Castro expressed concern about the continued influence of the tobacco industry, particularly through digital platforms targeting young people, describing it as a marketing of addiction.

He said tackling asthma required more than treatment, noting that environmental factors remained a major driver of respiratory disease globally.

Mr. Castro called on health leaders to invest in primary healthcare and ensure equitable access and universal availability of essential asthma medicines by 2027.

He also urged the integration of lung health services into primary care, including routine diagnosis by 2028, and to achieve measurable reductions in uncontrolled asthma and avoidable hospitalisations within five years.

Mr. Castro reiterated that addressing asthma effectively would require sustained political commitment.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) estimates that between five and 10 percent of the population lives with asthma, with higher prevalence among children and urban communities.

Senior Registrar in Pulmonology at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Vishnu Nene Abayateye, said records from the hospital’s Outpatient Department (OPD) in 2025 showed asthma as one of the leading chronic non-communicable diseases, contributing to frequent hospital visits and avoidable admissions.

He said limited access to diagnostic tools such as spirometry, as well as the cost and availability of inhaled corticosteroids, remained major barriers to effective management.

Dr. Abayateye noted that air pollution in urban centres such as Accra and Kumasi, including exposure to dust and biomass smoke, continues to worsen respiratory conditions.

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Millions suffer from asthma, but medicine is available – WHO envoy

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