Across South Africa and the globe, a silent scourge is devastating public health. Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), remain significantly underreported. Despite their prevalence, they receive far less attention than infectious diseases. In South Africa, CRDs account for 4% of all annual deaths. Data from 2019 reveals 20,149 deaths linked to these conditions.…