Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”
(November 18, 2015, New York, USA) – Today, to coincide with World COPD Day, World Lung Foundation called on governments to implement comprehensive tobacco control laws to break the link between increased smoking prevalence and increased prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible) asthma, and some forms of bronchiectasis. José Luis Castro, Executive Director, The Union and President & CEO, The Union North America and World Lung Foundation, said:
“According to The Tobacco Atlas, approximately 80 percent of all deaths from COPD are caused by smoking. The fact that 90 percent of those deaths occur in low and middle income countries demonstrates that the majority of the global burden is being borne by those who can least afford it – and by health systems least able to cope. This problem is compounded by the fact that many people living with COPD are forced to stop working prematurely; in a global study, 40 percent of working-age COPD sufferers said they had had to retire early. This individual suffering translates into wider socio-economic issues; the burden on health systems of treating COPD, the financial loss to families who lose their main breadwinner, and the national economic losses associated with premature deaths and workers leaving the workforce prematurely.
“There is also a negative impact on the commitments governments have made under international agreements. Chronic lung disease – including COPD – is one of the main categories of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As long as the incidence of COPD continues to increase at an alarming rate, the global community will not be able to meet its target – as stated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – of reducing premature mortality from NCD’s by one-third. There is also a significant correlation with another NCD – namely lung cancer; a lung screening trial in the USA found that COPD status was associated with a doubling of lung cancer incidence. Of course, both share a common risk factor – tobacco use.
“That’s why we urge governments to implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and adopt best practice strategies to reduce tobacco use by encouraging current smokers to quit and deterring youth from initiating tobacco use. This would make a significant difference in slowing the increase in deaths from COPD – and the individual suffering that entails. Without urgent action, COPD will be the third leading cause of global deaths by 2030. Now is the time to act. We stand ready to help governments and civil society take the necessary steps to combat tobacco and COPD.”