COPD to become third leading cause of death worldwide

According to WHO estimates for 2030, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is predicted to become the third leading cause of death killing over 4.5 million people worldwide. This was revealed by Pakistan Chest Society during a press conference on Thursday, here at Karachi Press Club in the wake of observing December as COPD awareness month.
"By 2015, COPD had been killing more than three million people worldwide every year (that is five percent of all deaths globally in that year)," said Professor Dr Nadeem Ahmed Rizvi, President Pakistan Chest Society Sindh and Head of Department, Chest Ward JPMC. He added that many cases of COPD were preventable by avoidance or early cessation of smoking, hence it was important that countries should adopt the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) and implement the MPOWER package of measures so that non-smoking becomes the norm globally.
MPOWER measures of WHO stresses monitoring of tobacco use and its prevention policies, protecting people from tobacco smoke, offering help to quit tobacco use, warning about the dangers of tobacco, enforcing bans on tobacco advertising/promotion/sponsorship, raising taxes on tobacco.
"COPD develops slowly and usually becomes apparent after 40 or 50 years of age. COPD is not curable, but treatment can relieve symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce the risk of death," he added. Dr Nisar Ahmed Rao, Professor at Dow University's Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases and Vice President Pakistan Chest Society said, "It has been proved scientifically that smoking cigarettes from adolescence to adulthood costs on average 10 years of life. "COPD kills on average one person every 10 seconds and the death rate from COPD is increased about 10-fold for each 15 cigarettes smoked daily and regularly in the past," he said.
It is estimated by WHO that close to 210 million cases of COPD could possibly be found worldwide, while some estimates put this number as high as 400-600 million. He further said, "In Pakistan, 18.7 percent smoking rate and breathlessness alone is the most frequently reported symptom of COPD. It is known that almost 90 percent of COPD deaths occur in low and middle-income countries and cigarette smoking is the most commonly encountered risk factor for COPD."
Moreover, he added COPD was one the most common respiratory disorders worldwide as 65 million people had moderate to severe COPD. "In Pakistan, the prevalence rate of COPD related symptoms is 18.5 percent and COPD patients with co-morbidities are 26.7 percent, while 76.7 percent COPD patients experience exacerbations," added Dr Nisar. Dr Saifullah Baig, Assistant Professor at Dow University's Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases and General Secretary of Pakistan Chest Society added that COPD patients hospitalised for their condition were 33.3 percent and 26.7 percent COPD patients visited an emergency room due to their respiratory condition.