COPD Awareness week, 18-24 November 2013

The Cyprus Pulmonology Society is organizing a series of events to inform the public about the prevention and early diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

COPD is the fourth cause of death worldwide and by 2020 it will climb to 3rd place. It is a serious and common disease of the respiratory system that can be prevented and treated, if diagnosed early. The main cause of the disease is smoking. Diagnosis can done by simple spirometry.

According to the World Health Organization 450 million people worldwide suffer from COPD and 3 million die from the disease annually. An epidemiological study conducted in 2008 by the Pulmonology Clinic of Nicosia General Hospital found that COPD affects 4.9% of the population. Noteworthy is the fact that 51.7% of these people were unaware that they have the disease when they entered the study.

Sponsors of the week’s events are AstraZeneca and Alector Pharmaceuticals.