Over 4 million people die from chronic respiratory diseases each year, but the diseases are ‘widely under-recognized, under-diagnosed, under-treated and insufficiently prevented’ (WHO). Without urgent action, chronic respiratory diseases will increase by 30% over the next decade.
A new Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases was officially launched in Beijing on 28 March 2006. GARD will:
- ‘raise awareness on the health impact and societal costs of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic respiratory diseases’; and
- ‘initiate a comprehensive approach to fight chronic respiratory diseases’.
This will require the development of ‘a standard way of obtaining relevant data on chronic respiratory disease risk factors, encouraging countries to implement health promotion and chronic disease prevention policies, and making recommendations of simple strategies for management of chronic respiratory diseases’.
Click here for further information on GARD.