Improving Asthma Management In Low Resource Areas

Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by airflow obstruction, airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness which affects an estimated 300 million individuals worldwide. The disease is highly prevalent among populations in low resource areas especially in developing countries due to the lack of availability of medical resources. Currently, most medical equipment used in low resource areas is imported from developed countries. Importing medical devices is expensive and not readily accessible for the general population. In addition, medical equipment designed and manufactured in developed regions often fail in low resource areas due to a disparity between the context in which the devices are expected to function and the conditions in which they function in developing countries.