The 2025 World Asthma Day was marked in Accra with a renewed call for improved access to inhaled treatment for asthma patients, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Commemorated under the theme “Make inhaled treatment accessible to all,” the event, held at the Trust Premium Centre in Osu, was organised by Trust Hospital in partnership with AstraZeneca.
It brought together health professionals and key stakeholders in respiratory care to raise awareness about asthma, which continues to pose a major public health challenge globally.
Chief Executive Officer of Trust Hospital, Dr Juliana Oye Armah, described asthma as a silent epidemic that continues to claim lives largely due to lack of access to essential medication.
She cited World Health Organization data indicating that nearly 1,979 asthma-related deaths occurred in Ghana in 2020, representing 1.13% of total national mortality.
“Asthma affects more than 262 million people globally and claims over 455,000 lives annually,” she noted.
“This year’s theme is a timely reminder that access to treatment must be a priority. We must break down the financial, geographic and systemic barriers preventing people from getting the care they need.”
Dr Allen Steele-Dadzie, a senior family medicine specialist and Medical Director at Finney Hospital and Fertility Centre, stressed that although asthma is not curable, it is manageable with the right care.
He urged clinicians to identify the condition early and refer patients to asthma clinics for appropriate monitoring and treatment.
“The best treatments are meaningless if patients cannot afford or access them,” he said, calling for practical prescribing practices that match patients’ financial realities.
Also speaking at the event, Chief of Medical Staff at Trust Hospital, Dr Nana Ama Abankwa, called for a patient-centered approach to asthma care.
She stressed that effective management must go beyond medication to include education, proper inhaler use, early diagnosis, and managing related conditions such as allergic rhinitis and obesity.
She revealed that in 2023 alone, Trust Hospital recorded over 4,000 asthma cases, many of them children between the ages of two and sixteen.
Dr Abankwa also endorsed the adoption of advanced therapies like SMART (Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy), and commended the government’s move to list asthma medications under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
“Improving access to asthma treatment is not just a medical issue, but a public health imperative,” she said.
