Focus on asthma 1: the state of care for children and young people in the UK and globally

Abstract

This is the first in a series of articles on asthma, the most prevalent long-term condition in children with a significant burden of disease. This first article presents an overview of the state of asthma and asthma care in the UK and globally, especially as it relates to children and young people. It considers prevalence, age and sex comparisons, causation, morbidity and mortality rates, cost and the quality of care. It also outlines what children and young people wish for their asthma care.

Keywords: asthma; cardiorespiratory; child health; clinical; epidemiology; health promotion; lung diseases; public health; respiratory.