WHO is working with Nepal and Sri Lanka to integrate asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) services into primary health care (PHC), aiming to strengthen frontline respiratory care and improve access to timely diagnosis and treatment. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, this initiative is part of WHO’s broader effort to enhance prevention, diagnosis, and management of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) through PHC.
CRDs remain a major health burden in the South‑East Asia Region, accounting for 12% of all deaths, with over 104 million people living with these conditions and 1.56 million deaths recorded in 2021. Persistent gaps in primary care readiness, including limited diagnostics and inconsistent access to inhaled medicines, highlight the need for stronger PHC systems.
In Nepal, the initiative is being implemented in Kavre District, building on lessons from hypertension and diabetes care programs. Asthma and COPD services are being integrated into existing PHC and noncommunicable disease (NCD) platforms through short training modules, job aids, adapted materials, supportive supervision, and community engagement.
In Sri Lanka, the program is advancing in Kandy and Kalutara districts through a PHC‑focused model that emphasizes systematic screening, improved diagnosis, health worker training, patient education, and stronger follow‑up via Healthy Lifestyle Centres and other PHC settings. Practical implementation tools are being used to improve continuity of care.
These initiatives reflect regional priorities to reduce avoidable illness and death from CRDs by embedding respiratory care into PHC systems. They demonstrate practical pathways for closing persistent gaps in care, while generating operational learning for the wider South‑East Asia Region.
The next phase in both countries will focus on frontline training and service delivery support, helping health workers provide more integrated respiratory care closer to communities, thereby strengthening equitable and people‑centered health systems.
