The burden of allergic diseases in the Indian subcontinent: barriers and challenges

Allergic diseases occur because of a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. High-income countries have faced an allergy epidemic during the past 3–4 decades, with nearly one in four children diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, asthma, or eczema. An increasing prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma has also been reported in the Indian subcontinent.1,2 India is the second most populous country (1·35 billion people) in the world and is classified as a lower-middle income country.