India needs a national COPD prevention and Control program

Abstract

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) kills more than 3 million people every year, making it the 4th largest cause of death in the world.1 It has been estimated that by the year 2030, COPD will become the third biggest cause of death. According to the World Health Organisation, COPD kills more people than HIV-AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis all put together in the South East Asian region. What is more worrying is the fact that mortality rates due to COPD are anticipated to increase by over 160% over the next 2 decades (Figure 1).2 Half a million people die every year due to COPD in India, which is over 4 times the number of people who die due to COPD in USA and Europe (Figure 2).3 According to a report published by the Maharashtra State Health Resource Centre, COPD is the leading cause of death in Maharashtra, causing more deaths than those due to ischemic heart disease, stroke and diabetes all put together.