[Epidemiological, clinical and progressive aspects of asthma observed at Bamako, Mali]

We carried out a prospective study of 106 of the 752 asthmatic patients attending the outpatient clinic of Point G Hospital, Bamako, between December 1997 and November 1998. We analyzed data for 61 patients whose lung function was assessed by measurement of peak expiratory flow. The frequency of asthma was 14.9%, suggesting regular progression of the disease. There were slightly more women than men (55.7% women) in the study population and the mean age of the patients was 31 years. Most of the patients (65.5%) were recruited in the dry season (November to May). Based on peak expiratory flow measurements, intermittent asthma was the most frequent type of asthma observed (37.8%), followed by moderate persistent asthma (34.4%), mild persistent asthma (18%) and severe persistent asthma (9.8%). The mean cost per episode of asthma was $36 (US) and the mean cost per patient was $432 (US) per year. In 52.45% of cases, the drugs required were available and the patient had access to them. They were available but not accessible in 26.22% of cases. To improve the management of asthma in countries with limited financial resources, generic drugs should be made available.