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2010 is the

Year Of The Lung

What is the Year Of The Lung?

The following extract is from www.2010yearofthelung.org

YOTL

"We, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), convening at the 40th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cancún, Mexico on 6 December 2009, recognize that hundreds of millions of people around the world suffer each year from treatable and preventable chronic respiratory disease; acknowledge that lung health has long been neglected in public discourse; understand the need to unify different health advocates behind one purpose; express the urgency for increased awareness and action on lung health... and therefore declare 2010: The Year of the Lung.

We note with grave concern that:

  • Hundreds of millions of people struggle each year for life and breath due to lung diseases, including tuberculosis, asthma, pneumonia, influenza, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and more than 10 million die.
  • Chronic respiratory diseases cause approximately 7% of all deaths worldwide and represent 4% of the global burden of disease;
  • Lung diseases afflict people in every country and every socioeconomic group, but take the heaviest toll on the poor, the old, the young and the weak;
  • Deadly synergies exist between diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, influenza and asthma, COPD and lung cancer;
  • Diseases once primarily found in industrialized countries, such as asthma, COPD and lung cancer, are now major problems in low- and middle-income countries and threaten to overwhelm public health services;
  • The cost of lung disease runs to billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and increased health care expenses – to say nothing of diminished and ruined lives;
  • Yet public demand and political commitment remain inadequate to effect significant change.

We recognize that:

  • The connection between breath and life is fundamental, yet the evidence shows that lung health is not high on the public health agenda:
  • Tobacco use remains legal, although it kills more than 5 million people each year, including 1.3 million who die of lung cancer, and it affects the health of hundreds of thousands of others who are exposed to its effects secondhand;
  • No new drugs have been developed for tuberculosis in more than 5 decades and the only vaccine is nearly a century old, yet there were more than 9 million new cases in 2007, and this curable disease kills 1.7 million each year;
  • Pneumonia kills more than 2 million children under 5 each year – one child every 15 seconds -- despite the fact that it can be treated effectively and inexpensively;
  • Most of the 250,000 deaths from asthma each year can be attributed to lack of proper treatment.
  • Although it will be the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide by 2020, COPD is frequently not diagnosed;
  • Nearly half of the world’s population lives in or near areas with poor air quality.

In this Year Of The Lung 2010, we call upon our partners

  • To offer widespread support to the more than 160 nations that have ratified the first-ever international public health treaty – the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – and call upon the remaining countries to do so;
  • To demand increased research funding to develop tools and treatments ranging from new diagnostics to new vaccines and medicines;
  • To strengthen health systems and work towards the fair and equitable distribution of these health care resources to all who need them;
  • To lobby for improved legislation protecting the quality of the air we all breathe;
  • To ensure that every health worker, parent, child, teacher, employer, religious leader, community leader, media representative and government official understands the risks and symptoms of lung diseases and how to keep lungs healthy, because lung health is essential to breath and life."

Year Of The Lung activities in the Asia Pacific region

The Federation of International Respiratory Societies, which includes APSR, ATS, ERS, ACCP and others, have invited national societies to plan activities for YOTL in 2010.

The activities may take place on specific days, such as the World Spirometry Day, or any other time that is devoted to lung-related activities. Those arranged so far include:

  • Japan

    The JRS has planned an APSR/JRS Symposium entitled 'Characteristic of Pulmonary Diseases in Asia' at their 50th Annual Meeting, 23-25 April 2010, Kyoto, Japan

  • Philippines

    The APSR Congress in Manila, 22-25 November 2010, will have special sessions for YOTL. Further events planned in the Philippines are included in the list below. Their initial preparation has included collaboration with:

    • PCCP Councils, Chapters, Accredited Institutions
    • Department of Health
    • Philippine Medical Association
    • Philippine College of Physicians

    Their initial activities have included:

    • A pool of PCCP spokespersons from the councils on various pulmonary health issues to increase further public knowledge and awareness on promoting pulmonary health issues was established (e.g. tobacco control, pulmonary infections, vaccinations, COPD, TB, asthma)
    • Networking activities with mass media groups to promote public awareness of health issues and create positive changes in health behavior
    • Press events/briefings for each important event (PCCP Convention, Lung Month, World TB Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Asthma Day, APSR, CSRs)
    • Convene activities worthy to be covered by media
    • PCCP Cares (Bawat Hinga, May Kalinga) 'Lung Health Advocacy in Action' Activities
      (Preventive medicine education, Lay Forum, screening and treatment of common pulmonary diseases in a community)
    • Development, production and dissemination of IEC materials
  • Hong Kong

    'We are already in the move', said Dr. CY Tam (President, Hong Kong Thoracic Society [HKTS]), Dr. Maureen ML Wong (President, the American College of Chest Physicians, Hong Kong & Macau Chapter [ACCP]), and Dr. KS Chan (Chairman, Hong Kong Lung Foundation [HKLF]).

    A series of programs have been planned by the three local thoracic societies of Hong Kong and will be launched to alert the public on the importance of lung health and lung diseases. Activities for the coming months will include media events and press release, open essay competition, health talks and exhibitions, audio-visual aids production, pamphlets and education material publications, Spirometry Day and COPD Day. Through these promotional and educational events, the HKTS, ACCP HK& Macau Chapter, and HKLF hope to achieve the targets of raising public awareness on lung health and lung diseases, generating societal support in treating and preventing lung diseases, and stimulating more research and technological developments for lung diseases.

  • Indonesia

    To support 2010 as The Year of The Lung, the Indonesian Society of Respirology invited various lung-related organizations and institutions to a press conference on January 21, 2010. Among the invited organizations and institutions were the Indonesian Asthma Council, Indonesian Asthma Foundation, Respiratory Care Indonesia (Respina), Indonesian Unity Against Tuberculosis, Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Indonesia, ACCP Indonesian Chapter, APSR Indonesian Representative, Indonesia Society of Bronchoscopy, and Persahabatan Hospital.

    At the press conference, the chairman of the Indonesian Society of Respirology explained the background and the purpose of declaring 2010 as The Year of The Lung. Lung diseases model in Indonesia was also described. Attending organizations and institutions agreed that during 2010, all events will display the theme and logo for 2010 as The Year of The Lung.

    Two events being held are PIPKRA 2010 (Annual Respiratory Meeting) held by Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Indonesia and World TB Day hosted by Persahabatan Hospital. These two events will display theme and logo for 2010 as The Year of The Lung.

(The following are specific events organised primarily for the YOTL advocacy in the Asia Pacific region. For a full list of other pulmonary events in the region and international YOTL activities, see the Events Calendar.)

YOTL