It is now estimated that as many as 300 million people of all ages, and all ethnic backgrounds, suffer from asthma and the burden of this disease to governments, health care systems, families, and patients is increasing worldwide.

In 1989 the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) program was initiated with the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH and the World Health Organization (WHO) in an effort to raise awareness among public health and government officials, health care workers, and the general public that asthma was on the increase. The GINA program recommends a management program based on the best available scientific evidence to allow doctors to provide effective medical care for asthma tailored to local health care systems and resources.

Working in continued collaboration with leaders in asthma care from many countries, and with GINA Sponsors, World Asthma Day (first Tuesday in May) has been extremely successful, increasing in numbers of participants each year. We are indebted to the vast number of people in many countries of the world who have made a commitment to bring awareness about the burden of asthma to their local health care officials, and to implement programs of effective asthma care.