World COPD DAY - November 02

WHAT IS WORLD COPD DAY?

WORLD COPD DAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2002- RAISING COPD AWARENESS WORLDWIDE

World COPD Day 2002, organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), will be held November 20, 2002. The event represents a partnership between health care groups and respiratory educators to raise awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD is a highly prevalent disease, has a high impact on quality of life, and kills many people. The early stages of COPD are often unrecognized, but it is easy to determine whether a person is at risk. If COPD is detected early, treatments are available to prevent further deterioration of lung function.

The objective of this first-ever World COPD Day is to increase awareness of COPD as a global health problem. The theme “Raising COPD Awareness Worldwide!” will be used by health professionals, medical and patient organizations, health authorities, patients, and the general public to highlight the need for every person to learn about the symptoms of COPD, talk to their doctor about diagnosis of COPD, receive appropriate treatment, learn to manage COPD in partnership with a health professional, and reduce exposure to environmental risk factors that make their disease worse.

World COPD Day activities will be arranged within each country. Examples include:

	Posters, billboards, stickers, newspaper articles, and radio advertisements highlighting the theme of World COPD Day 2002.
	Clinics and health fairs to bring attention to the symptoms of COPD.
	Demonstration of spirometry, to test lung function.
	World COPD Day walks, runs, and swims involving participants with COPD and their family members.
	Exercise classes, dance performances, coping skills workshops, and support group sessions to help COPD patients live active, fuller lives.
	Clinics and health fairs to bring attention to COPD and provide information about good COPD care.

World COPD Day 2002 will mark the beginning of a major, year-long campaign, “Raising COPD Awareness Worldwide.” Individuals designated as GOLD Launch Leaders will work within their own countries to make the general public more aware of COPD and physicians more aware of diagnostic tools.

World COPD Day calls for physicians, public authorities, and national organizations to work together to bring awareness to COPD. By making the general public and the health care community aware of the symptoms of COPD, individuals with symptoms will receive appropriate treatment and prevent further deterioration of their lungs. Ultimately, this effort will:

	significantly reduce deaths from COPD
	cut the number of hospitalizations due to COPD
	reduce the rate of new cases of COPD developing.

Key short-term strategies to achieve these goals include: making the general public aware of the symptoms of COPD; making tools for COPD diagnosis—especially spirometers—available to health care workers; making medications available and affordable; informing and educating health authorities, physicians, patients, and families about effective management of COPD; and supporting efforts to reduce people’s exposure to environmental risk factors implicated in the disease.