Embargoed: 9am GMT, 19th November 2003
EFA CALLS FOR AWARENESS AND ACTION ON COPD IN EUROPE
DEDICATED WEBSITE LAUNCHED FOR COPD PATIENTS AND CARERS
[Brussels, 19 November 2003]: The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases
Patients’ Associations (EFA) will today, World COPD Day, launch a website dedicated to
educating and empowering people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The site will
provide a much-needed resource for COPD patients and their carers across Europe. According
to a recent World Health Report, 600 million people world-wide have COPD1, and while it is the
only major cause of death in the world to be increasing2 - it remains highly under-recognised and
undiagnosed.3
“COPD is now ranked as the fifth leading cause of death in Europe4 and by 2020 it will have
become the third leading cause of death in the world, with only heart disease and
cerebrovascular disease accounting for more deaths. Despite this increase, people diagnosed
with COPD often have nowhere to turn for information about disease management and family
members and carers often feel at a loss about what they can do to help", said Svein-Erik
Myrseth, President of EFA today in Oslo. "EFA is committed to de-mystifying COPD. We want to
help these patients recognise and understand their disease and this website will not only raise
the profile of COPD among patients and the public at-large, but will highlight to governments that
COPD must become part of the political health agenda”.
The website will include lifestyle intervention advice to improve quality of life of patients as
disease management. To help patients recognize disease, there are awareness raising pages,
including a self-test for COPD symptoms. The, “Could it be COPD?” self-test by GOLD, Global
Initiative for COPD prompts individuals who are at risk to seek medical help when the disease is
at an early stage. As COPD progresses, both patients and carers often require extra support to
deal with the emotional and physical strain of the disease. To address this, there is important
information on how to recognize a COPD exacerbation, including steps to reduce the risks of
having an exacerbation.
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The good news for patients is that there is a range of disease management options available to
them.
COPD is a multi-component disease characterized by airway inflammation, airway structural
changes and muco-ciliary dysfunction all leading to airflow limitation and a systemic component
5, 6
EFA is the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Association, an
alliance of 41 organisations in 23 different countries across Europe. EFA strives to improve the
health and quality of life of people with Allergy, Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease to serve the needs and safeguard the rights of these patients and their families across
Europe.
– ENDS –
Notes to Editor:
To access the EFA COPD website visit www.efanet.org/copd
For more information contact:
Susanna Palkonen
EFA Central Office,
Phone: + 32 26 46 99 45,
Email: EFAOffice@skynet.be
References:
1. World Health Report 1998. Life in the 21st Century: A vision for all. World Health Organisation, Geneva, 1998
2. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Morbidity and mortality: chartbook on cardiovascular, lung and blood
diseases. Bethesda, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of
Health; 1998. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/docs/cht-book.htm (last accessed 15 April 2003)
3. Vermeire P. The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Respir Med 2002: 96(Suppl C): S3-S10
4. Murray CJL, Lopez AD, Mathers CD, Stein C. The global burden of disease 2000 project: aims, methods and data
sources. Global Programme on Evidence for Health Policy Discussion Paper No.36. World Health Organization, Nov
2001
5. National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Global initiative for chronic
obstructive lung disease. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management and prevention of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. NHLBI/WHO Workshop Report. NHBLI/WHO (2001).
6. Agusti AGN, Noguera A, Sauleda J, Sala E, Pons J, Busquets X. Systemic effects of chronic pulmonary
disease. Eur Respir J 2003; 21: 347–360.
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