In Croatia, there are approximately 200,000 people living with asthma, with half of them experiencing difficulties in maintaining control over their condition, and there are 12,000 new cases of asthma recorded annually in the country, highlighted on Saturday on the occasion of World Asthma Day.

In Croatia alone, it is estimated that around 200,000 people live with asthma, with half of them experiencing difficulties in maintaining control over their condition. There are 12,000 new cases of asthma recorded annually in Croatia, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive management strategies,” warned the Croatian Thoracic Society, the Croatian House of Breathing Foundation, and the “Breath of Life” Patients’ Association.

As part of the World Asthma Day observance, they will lead public health campaigns and educational programs across Croatia aimed at raising awareness about asthma and promoting lung health, with a special emphasis on children.

The campaign will begin with public health events in Gajeva Street in Zagreb and in the Atrium of the Cedulin Palace in Zadar, starting at 10 am. The campaign slogan is “With Love, Without Smoke – For a Healthy Family for Everyone.”

Globally, there are about 260 million people suffering from asthma and around 450,000 deaths annually.

In response to this health problem, the Croatian Pulmonary Society, in collaboration with the Croatian Thoracic Society, developed guidelines for asthma treatment last year, aligned with the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) strategy. They emphasize the importance of achieving asthma control with minimal use of medications and reducing reliance on short-acting beta2-agonist inhalers.

“Despite asthma being a lifelong condition with individual variations in symptoms, it can be successfully controlled with appropriate management. Simple blood tests can help identify specific subtypes of asthma, such as eosinophilic asthma, which affects nearly 7 out of 10 patients with severe asthma,” the campaign leaders’ statement said.

In addition to personalized and precise therapeutic approaches, including biological therapies, asthma treatment guidelines aim to improve outcomes and increase the quality of life for asthma patients.

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways, and its symptoms can include shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness. If left untreated, these symptoms can vary in intensity over time, leading to progressive airflow limitation in the lungs.