World COPD Day (also known as World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day) is annually observed on the second or third Wednesday in November (mostly the third). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one the most widespread diseases around the world. According to WHO estimates, about 210 million people around the world suffer from COPD. By 2030 COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide. Many people expose themselves to the main risk factors, including smoking, air pollution, dust and chemicals.
The World COPD Day is a global effort to expand understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and advocate for better care for patients. In 2004, 64 million people had the illness and WHO predicts that COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. Key risk factors for COPD are tobacco smoking, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and exposure to occupational dusts and chemicals.
COPD is caused by breathing in noxious particles or gases from either tobacco smoking or environmental factors such as exposure to biomass fuel or air pollution. Diagnosis of COPD is considered when a person has appropriate symptoms and decreased lung function. People with COPD experience exacerbations (or flare-ups) of symptoms. Exacerbations occur with increasing frequency as the disease progresses, leading to increased risk of hospitalization or mortality. Despite optimization of treatments, people with COPD experience debilitating symptoms, which can have an impact on their functional status, access to health services, and quality of life. There is also a burden on ‘informal’ carers as they are the main providers of long-term hands-on care, which can have a physical, emotional, and financial impact on the career.
The Global Burden of Disease study shows that COPD is the third leading cause of death claiming an estimated three million lives from 2005 to 2015, with a prevalence of 251 million cases of COPD globally during this time period. Although most information about COPD deaths comes from high-income countries, 90% of COPD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. COPD represents 2.6% of the entire global burden of disease, and it is a growing global epidemic, as people suffer as a result of under-recognition, under-diagnosis, and under-treatment. COPD costs 6% of the total healthcare budget in the European Union, and it accounts for more than half of the overall costs for respiratory diseases.
The World COPD Day logo is featured in promotional material for the event. It features a figure of a person, with arms stretched out and the figure’s lungs highlighted, in front of a globe. The inside of the globe is blue and marked by grids and the globe’s outer part is highlighted in red. The words “World COPD Day” are written on the right side of the image of the figure and globe. A straight, black vertical line marks a fine separation between the image and the text.
The 19th annual World COPD Day is on 18 November 2020. The goal of World COPD Day is to raise awareness and present new knowledge and novel therapeutic strategies for COPD worldwide. 2020’s theme, “Living Well With COPD- Everybody, Everywhere” looks to send a positive message to both patients and providers that although there is no cure for COPD, there are many ways to actively live well with the disease.
This campaign aims to raise awareness for interventions like pulmonary rehabilitation, physical activity, self-management, and nutrition, as well as highlight the importance of social and mental well-being. Worldwide education on these types of services can help raise awareness and promote advocacy for patient access everywhere.
Staying healthy and preventing other serious illness can help COPD patients slow disease progression and prevent the burden of exacerbations. It is important to continue to recommend vaccination as part of maintaining health and living well!
