Severe Asthma Care: Time for Urgency

Severe asthma, impacting an estimated 33.9 million people globally, is a chronic disease often managed reactively, leading to prolonged suffering for patients. Despite clear clinical guidelines, individuals frequently endure years of symptoms and emergency department visits before receiving adequate specialist care. This delayed approach exposes many to chronic oral corticosteroid use, a treatment with severe long-term consequences including diabetes, hypertension, and increased mortality.

A shift towards proactive management is urgently needed. Evidence and clinician consensus support earlier intervention, proposing a clear benchmark: patients should be moved from referral to treatment review within 18 weeks. This aligns with time-bound care pathways successfully implemented for other serious conditions like cancer and heart failure, aiming to save lives and reduce healthcare costs.