World COPD Day - ‘Never Too Early, Never Too Late’

World COPD Day is observed annually on every third Wednesday of November around the world with the primary aim to boost people’s understanding of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and promote better care for patients around the world. World COPD Day’s theme for the year 2018 is 'Never Too Early, Never Too Late.'

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Aim of the Campaign

The principal purpose of the campaign is to:

• Raise awareness about COPD and reduce COPD-associated deaths worldwide
• Improve healthcare standards for patients with COPD
• Draw the attention of public health professionals, decision-makers and society to develop programs for identifying, preventing and controlling the disease

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What is COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a life-threatening, progressive lung condition that obstructs airflow and makes it hard to breathe. It is mainly caused due to prolonged exposure to tobacco smoke.

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History of COPD Day

World COPD Day was started as an annual campaign in 2002 and was organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in association with the health care professionals and COPD patient groups around the globe. On this day, different activities are organized in every country to educate people and help reduce the burden of COPD.

Facts and Statistics on COPD

• Approximately there are 251 million cases of COPD worldwide
• Globally, 3.17 million deaths were caused by the disease in 2015
• In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 24 million people have COPD, but half of the number goes undiagnosed
• COPD kills 30,000 people a year in the UK
• COPD is currently the third leading cause of death globally
• COPD deaths are highly prevalent in low and middle-income countries
• Although smoking is a common cause of COPD, other factors like second-hand smoke, occupational dust, air pollution, chemicals, and genetic factors also contribute to developing COPD.
• Nearly 25 percent of long-term smokers will go on to develop COPD

Six Simple Tips to Live an Active Life with COPD

1. Develop a Positive Mindset: Change your outlook on the disease and understand that the key to remain active lies within the person.
2. Set Your Goals: Define short and long-term goals for yourself. Setting specific, measurable goals will motivate you to achieve them.
3. Adopt a Healthy Diet: Maintain a healthy diet with proper nutrition and sufficient sleep.
4. Quit Smoking: Cigarette smoking is the cause of 90 percent of the overall deaths from lung cancer and 80 percent of overall deaths from COPD. You cannot reverse the damage done to your lungs, however quitting smoking can slow the progression of COPD.
5. Exercise Sensibly: Exercise strengthens large muscle groups and improves airway circulation. Work towards increasing your strength, stamina and flexibility by breaking down tasks into smaller parts and schedule frequent rest periods.
6. Have Patience: Understand that progress takes time. With a healthy diet and exercise, your strength and endurance can improve.

So, let’s join hands to raise awareness of COPD, find the missing millions and help people get the treatment and care they deserve.

References:

1. World COPD Day - (https://goldcopd.org/world-copd-day/)
2. World COPD Day 2018 - (https://www.blf.org.uk/copdday)
3. World COPD Day - 21 November 2018 - (http://www.firsnet.org/news-and-actions/105-world-copd-day-21-november-2018)

Source-Medindia