The global decline in asthma death rates: can we relax now?

Whilst global asthma mortality seems to be decreasing, childhood asthma incidence is rising, and early warnings from Australia show an increase in asthma-related deaths in under-15s; this article considers whether we should view the future impact of asthma with trepidation. Age-adjusted mortality statistics for asthma have been reevaluated to provide an international standard. Comparisons across regions and time are complex, yet over the last two decades asthma mortality has clearly decreased, coinciding with a significant change in asthma management. The majority of remaining asthma deaths are preventable.