Asthma is a chronic lung condition that affects your airways or bronchial tubes. It causes your airways to narrow, swell and produce extra mucus, which in turn makes it more difficult to breathe. The narrowing of the airways causes you to feel short of breath, wheezy or trigger fits of coughing.
Over 90% of the morbidity and mortality related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma occurs in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to well documented factors including decreased access to screening, trained health professionals, and therapies for disease manageme...nt. Inhaler therapy (eg, aerosolised medications by inhalation, nebulisation, or propellant) is the mainstay of treatment for COPD and asthma. Adherence to maintenance medications for COPD and asthma results in improved lung function and quality of life, as well as decreased hospitalisation and mortality. WHO have included short-acting beta-agonists, long-acting muscarinic antagonists, and inhaled corticosteroids on the essential medications list, with a target goal of achieving 80% availability of these medications in public and private facilities. However, despite these efforts, accessibility, and affordability of medications for COPD and asthma remains scarce.
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Video about asthma:
What is asthma?
Lets learn together about asthma as Dr.Shema Christine explains to depth about asthma
With Asthma Day coming up, Edrine Osteen Mukalazi sat down with Dr. Rebecca Nantanda to discuss "Closing the gap on #Asthma care for children on the Health Pot show."
Leave on a comment and let us know whether this video has been educational for you.
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✽ Our guest Rebecca Nantanda ✽
⊳ Dr. Rebecca Nantanda is a member of the Institute Technical Board (ITB) of Makerere University Lung Institute.
⊳ She has been involved in research on respiratory diseases in children for the past 12 years with specific focus on pneumonia and asthma.
⊳ She has a number of publications in peer-reviewed journals and has made several presentations at International and Local Scientific conferences on the above subjects.
⊳ She is currently involved in research, clinical care and pre-service and in-service training of health care professionals.
⊳ Her qualifications contain MBChB (MUST), M.Med Paediatrics and Child Health (MUK), PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sida- Makerere Research Program.
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Video :Health Pot about Prevention, Genetic Test, Prevention of Air Pollution and Spirometry.
Aerosol pollutants are known to raise the risk of development of non-communicable respiratory diseases (NCRDs) such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and allergic rhinitis. Sub-Saharan Africa’s rapid pace of urbanization, economic expansion, and population growt...h raise concerns of increasing incidence of NCRDs. This research characterizes the state of research on pollution and NCRDs in the 46 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This research systematically reviewed the literature on studies of asthma; chronic bronchitis; allergic rhinitis; and air pollutants such as particulate matter, ozone, NOx, and sulfuric oxide.
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Dolutegravir HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) data from Africa remain sparse. We reviewed HIVDR results of Malawians on
dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (November 2020– September 2021). Of 6462 eligible clients, 33 samples were submitted to South Africa, 27 were sequenced successfully, and 8 ...(30%) had dolutegravir HIVDR. Malawi urgently requires adequate HIVDR testing capacity.
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Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the commonest chronic diseases worldwide. Self-Management Education (SME) is regarded as a critical element of treatment for all people with diabetes, as well as those at risk of developing the condition. While a great variety of diabetes self-management education (D...SME) interventions are available in high-income countries, limited information exists on educational programs for the prevention and management of diabetes complications in Africa. This study, therefore, aimed at synthesizing information in the literature to describe the state of the science of DSME interventions in the WHO African Region.
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Diabetes is a significant public health issue that affects approximately one in 10 adults globally, with type 2 diabetes accounting for 90–95% of cases. This chronic condition causes considerable morbidity and mortality and is growing in impact, with cases projected to rise from 537 million in 202...1 to 784 million by 2045.1 As cases rise, it is imperative to ensure the healthcare workforce is prepared to care for affected individuals. However, there is a growing global shortage of healthcare workers, which was estimated, pre pandemic, to reach 15 million by 2030.2 Therefore, all of the healthcare workforce will need to be utilised to their fullest potential in order to address the growing global burden of diabetes. Pharmacists will continue to be essential in this endeavour.
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The uploaded document explores the Mediterranean diet and physical activity as effective strategies to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It discusses the diet's nutritional components, such as olive oil, fruits, and vegetables, and their health benefits, including reduced risk of ...cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The paper also highlights the importance of regular physical activity for improving overall health, including its role in weight management, aging, and metabolic functions, while emphasizing a combined approach to achieve optimal health outcomes.
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The video titled "Physical Activity and Chronic Disease Prevention" emphasizes the importance of regular physical activity in reducing the risk of chronic diseases. It discusses how engaging in consistent exercise can help prevent conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. The ...video also provides practical tips for incorporating physical activity into daily routines to enhance overall health and well-being.
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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important contributor to mortality from noncommunicable diseases. No decrease has been seen for CKD mortality contrary to many other important non-communicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease). The prevalence of CKD and kidney failure are increasing all over... the world – and thereby also the need for dialysis. Unfortunately, the prevalence increases most rapidly in lowand middle-income countries. Globally, there are great inequities in access and quality of management of kidney failure. Many low- and middle-income countries cannot meet the increased need for dialysis. If the patients receive dialysis, it might only be for a limited period due to the out-of-pocket expenses. There are global disparities in CKD mortality reflecting the disparities in access to care. Lack of access to dialysis is an important cause of the increased CKD mortality in low- and middle-income countries.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease that requires differential diagnosis and proper classification to identify appropriate therapy. Nonpharmacologic therapy and preventative measures should be utilized to prevent worsening of disease, symptoms, and complications. The Gl...obal Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines classify a patient’s COPD and provide recommendations for first-line treatment. The 2021 update included information regarding the use of e-cigarettes as nicotine replacement, triple therapy, and how the SARS-CoV-2 virus impacted patients with COPD. This article will focus on the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of COPD, as well as recently updated information regarding the use of e-cigarettes and the impact of COVID-19.
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PATS & ERS
Paediatric Webinar Series
Non- CF Bronchiectasis: Diagnostic Approach and Management
Severe and difficult asthma in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) can relate to lack of availability of basic medications; potentially reversible factors such as poor adherence or comorbidities such as obesity inhibiting a good response to treatment; and (rarely) true severe, therapy-resistant ...asthma. However, definitions of severity should encompass not merely doses of prescribed medication, but also underlying risk. The nature of asthmatic airway disease shows geographical variation, and LMIC asthma should not be assumed to be phenotypically the same as that in high-income countries (HICs). The first assessment step is to ensure another diagnosis is not being missed. Largely, political action is needed if children with asthma are to get access to basic medications. If a child is apparently not responding to low dose, simple medications, the next step is not to increase the dose but perform a detailed assessment of what factors (for example co-morbidities such as obesity, or social factors like poor adherence) are inhibiting a treatment response; in most cases, an underlying reason can be found. An assessment of risk of future severe asthma attacks, side-effects of medication and impaired lung development is also important. True severe, therapy-resistant asthma is rare and there are multiple underlying molecular pathologies. In HICs, steroid-resistant eosinophilia would be treated with omalizumab or mepolizumab, but the cost of these is prohibitive in LMICs, the biomarkers of successful therapy are likely only relevant to HICs. In LMICs, a raised blood eosinophil count may be due to parasites, so treating asthma based on the blood eosinophil count may not be appropriate in these settings.
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Diabetes mellitus, also called diabetes, is a chronic metabolic condition in which the hormone insulin is not produced by the
pancreas in sufficient quantities or is not utilized effectively by the body to control blood glucose levels. As a result, blood
glucose levels are abnormally high (hypergl...ycaemia). Chronic uncontrolled hyperglycemia leads to long-term target organ damage, such as: retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy (microvascular complications); stroke, coronary heart disease
and peripheral arterial disease (macrovascular complications).
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The "WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable (PEN) Disease Interventions for Primary Health Care" provides a set of cost-effective, evidence-based interventions to address noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers. Designed ...for implementation in primary healthcare settings, especially in low-resource environments, the package includes protocols for screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management of these diseases. The document emphasizes an integrated approach, supporting universal health coverage by empowering healthcare workers with practical tools to improve NCD care. It aims to reduce premature mortality from NCDs and enhance global health equity.
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The Africa Health Organisation's fact sheet on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
The document "Appropriate use and withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)" from the IPCRG provides guidance on when to start, adjust, or discontinue ICS in COPD treatment. It highlights the benefits and risks, emphasizing personalized... treatment based on patient history, exacerbation frequency, and eosinophil count, while detailing how to optimize bronchodilator use to manage symptoms effectively.
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Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions in the world and is increasing in prevalence, particularly in Africa and other low-income countries. The disproportionately high numbers of premature deaths and severe or uncontrolled cases in many African countries are indicative of th...eir inability to cope with a costly disease like asthma. Progress has, however, been made in understanding the complex and heterogeneous nature of the disease. The objective of this study will be to summarise the epidemiological literature on the nature of asthma in African countries.
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