Asthma in developing worlds.

In the last decades growing evidence of a worldwide increase in atopic diseases and sensitisation to common allergenswas provided. Prevalence of asthma is increasing most rapidly among children, especially where urbanisation takes place. Several risk factors that we can observe in developing countries or in inner-city communities of the developed countries contribute to asthma morbidity and mortality. Poverty, climate, exposure to tobacco, viral infection, outdoor air pollution and chemical irritants are included in the most important risk factors (1). The results of Phase 1 of the International Study on Asthma and Allergic Diseases in Childhood (ISAAC) (2) demonstrated that prevalence of childhood asthma from most developing countries is similar to those observed in developed regions. The different realities however demanded for differentiated solutions on how to effectively and efficiently provide comprehensive asthma health care services. Moreover, asthma education and self management must be increased in developed and developing countries with different strategies because in many countries peoplewith commonChronical RespiratoryDiseases (CRD) including asthma have no access to acceptable standing of health care (3).