Asthma drug program has only 11 percent of eligible patients

What kind of disease is asthma? How many people suffer from it, what is the diagnosis and treatment, and what challenges do we have in its context?

It's one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases, but it's also one of the most common diseases of civilization in the 21st century. According to the World Health Organization, some 339 million sufferers face it, but estimates say that this number will increase by 100 million by 2025. The scale is thus striking. The Polish figures are not optimistic either. We have about 4 million people in our country with asthma symptoms, while there are about 2.2 million actively treated and diagnosed.

This means that many people have asthma and don't even know it?

Undoubtedly, and precisely for the benefit of patients with every form of the disease, we established the Asthma Treatment Coalition more than two years ago. This is a unique initiative, very substantive, open and transparent, whose ranks are filled by clinicians, but also public health experts and representatives of patient organizations.

I understand that the voice of patients is very important here?

Yes, in all our activities we put the patient, his level of knowledge about the disease, awareness, and thus a better quality of life in the denominator.

And what is the patient's path from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis?

It should be simple, but it turns out that it is not always so. Reports we've compiled show that the asthma diagnosis process in Poland takes as long as 7 years. This is far too long. Such a patient goes first to a primary care physician, then to a specialist. Depending on whether it is mild asthma, severe asthma, i.e. asthma that poses a real threat to health and life, he or she has a chance to be taken to a reference center and put on biological therapies.

And what is the access to treatment? Are all patients adequately cared for?

When it comes to biological treatment, which is the treatment for the most severe form of this disease, 35,000 patients are eligible for the drug program, while only 4,000 patients benefit from biological therapies. So if we see and hear about such a difference, we can say that these patients could be better taken care of. If we think about the reasons why this is so, what we really find is that the treatment of severe asthma in Poland, is a system of interconnected vessels. If even one component is not working then the others are also dysfunctional.

In conclusion, what are the most important challenges when it comes to asthma?

These will certainly include shortening the diagnostic process and increasing access to modern therapies. The coalition is focused on dialogue, education and, above all, building an informed patient and an informed society. This is a long-term process.