World COPD Day 2023
Jakarta, IO – Every November 15th is celebrated as COPD (World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Day. The theme of this 22nd year of commemoration, “Breathing is Life: Act Early”, aims to increase awareness and new knowledge, as well as new therapeutic strategies for COPD throughout the world. COPD is preventable and treatable; it is characterized by shortness of breath and a chronic cough and expelling of phlegm. COPD is prevalent in the general population and is currently one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Three million people worldwide die every year from COPD. This number is expected to continue to increase, because the world population is increasingly aging and continues to be influenced by risk factors.
“Lungs only need clean air. Exposure to cigarette smoke and inhaled toxic particles and gases is a major risk factor, although recent research suggests that COPD is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors. This significant development shows the importance of considering lung health from growth to adulthood,” said dr. Budhi Antariksa, Sp.P(K), Ph.D, from the Indonesian Respirology Association (PDPI), when opening the online press conference commemorated World COPD Day, Wednesday (15/11/2023).
Data shows that the number of active smokers in India is the third-largest in the world, after China and India. In 2023, 70.2 million (34.5%) adults are addicted; 121.6 million people are exposed to cigarette smoke at home; 11% of adults have tried e-cigarettes; the prevalence of smoking among children aged 10-18 years increased from 7.2% in 2013 to 9.1% in 2018. “Passive smoking is 3 times the risk of active smoking. Even if you are slightly exposed to cigarette smoke, there are still chemicals that enter the body and can trigger heart disease, lung cancer, respiratory problems, and sudden death in babies,” explained dr. Nurrahmah Yusuf, Sp.P(K), FISR, pulmonologist from Syah Kuala University, Aceh.
Providing Spirometry
As a result of many studies, smoking cessation has been proven to be the most important factor in reducing the progression of COPD. Initiatives to reduce the burden of CPOD are occurring worldwide, including smoking suppression programs, combating indoor and outdoor air pollution, and examining adverse childhood factors. Even though there is currently no medicine to cure CPOD, actions to prevent and improve quality of life can be taken by the government and society.
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At the end, dr. Budhi emphasized how employers can strive for environments that are safe to breathe in, communities that can be good stewards of clean air, and patients and families which help advocate for more research and better access to care, including essential medicines, routine lung function checks, and care such as remote health access for patients in faraway locations.
“Governments as service providers and policymakers can work together to increase access to the CPOD diagnostic process, namely, by providing spirometry – a simple test used to help diagnose and monitor certain lung conditions by measuring how much air you can breathe out in one forced breath – and advocating its use as a marker of general health at all stages of life, which is important not only for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases but also as a marker of health in general,” he concluded. (est)