World TB Day and 2010 Year of the Lung

[bobby ramakant]

The World TB Day is just a week ahead of us. For more information on World TB Day, please go to: http://stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/2010/

 

This year 2010 is the year of the lung - for more background on year of the Lung, please read an article on year of the lung announcement that came out from the 40th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cancun,
Mexico in December 2009 (or go online at: http://www.citizen-news.org/2009/12/year-2010-is-declared-as-year-o...
.

 

I look forward to reading comments from the members on how the messages in lead up to the World TB Day is reinforcing advocacy for year of the lung.

 

Thanks

 

Bobby Ramakant

Email: [e-mail]

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The year 2010 is declared as Year of the Lung

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The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) convening at the 40th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cancun, Mexico, declared the year 2010 as the Year of the Lung. This was done to recognize that
hundreds of millions of people around the world suffer each year from treatable
and preventable chronic respiratory diseases. This initiative acknowledges that
lung health has long been neglected in public discourses, and understands the
need to unify different health advocates behind one purpose of lung health,
informed Dr Nils Billo, Chair of FIRS. The FIRS partners include the
International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), American
Thoracic Society (ATS), Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociacion
Latinoamericana de Torax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), Pan
African Thoracic Society and American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

 

The New York Times carried a series of articles on different parts of human body, but forgot the lungs! It is difficult to remain alive without lungs for more than few seconds!

 

The Declaration signed by the partners of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) read as following:

 

[Begin]

WE NOTE WITH GRAVE CONCERN THAT:

Hundreds of millions of people around the world suffer each year from treatable and preventable respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis (TB), asthma, lung cancer, H1N1, pneumonia, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD).

 

WE RECOGNIZE THAT:

Despite the magnitude of suffering and death caused by lung disease, lung health has long been neglected in public discourse and in public health decisions.

 

WE CALL UPON OUR PARTNERS TO:

Enact smoking cessation legislation and programs to reduce the prevalence and stigma of tobacco-related lung diseases.

[Ends]

 

There are a range of health and environmental factors that affect our lung health. This includes tuberculosis (TB), tobacco smoke, biomass fuel smoke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, pneumonia
among other respiratory infections. The evidence of their potentially
devastating effects on global public health is increasing and they require a
coordinated approach for control. These diseases all occur in predominantly
resource-poor countries. They are perpetuated by poverty and inadequate
resources and their control and management require coordinated approach among
health programmes at all levels.

 

Statistically, there is 1 TB-related death that takes place every 18 seconds, 1 HIV death every 16 seconds, 1 child dies of pneumonia every 15 seconds and 1 smoking-related death every 13 seconds. The enormous
public challenge posed by the combined epidemics of tobacco smoking, HIV, TB
and COPD, is undoubtedly alarming.

 

More than 2 billion people or a third of the world's total population, are infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is now the world's seventh-leading cause of death. It killed 1.8 million people
worldwide last year, up from 1.77 million in 2007. It is one of the three
primary diseases that are closely linked to poverty, the other two being AIDS
and malaria.

 

Tobacco smoking is unquestionably the primary risk factor for COPD. More than 5 million deaths are attributed to tobacco use every year. Smokers have two fold higher risk of developing active TB disease. Tobacco
smokers have 2 times more risk of dieing of TB. Tobacco smoke increases the
risk of pneumonia, influenza, menningococcal meningitis, among others. Evidence
is accumulating that smoking is a risk factor for TB. However there is no
published data on the cellular interactions of tobacco smoke and mycobacterium
tuberculosis. The risk to develop active TB disease is higher when tobacco
smoking is combined with alcohol.

 

Dr Donald Enarson stressed that tobacco smoking cessation is an important part of the comprehensive tobacco control programme, and not the only part. So all components of the comprehensive tobacco control measures
should be implemented for improving public health outcomes. Dr Enarson was
referring to MPOWER report from Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) of WHO which
outlines the MPOWER package, a set of six key tobacco control measures that
reflect and build on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC, global
tobacco treaty). Another delegates remarked that MPOWER is in line with the
global tobacco treaty - FCTC - and we should be demanding implementation of the
treaty to which governments have committed to enforce. The WHO FCTC is the
first public health and corporate accountability treaty, said a delegate from
India. Comprehensive tobacco control programmes can yield major public health
outcomes, as 30% of male TB patients die of tobacco smoking.

 

Asthma is yet another major lung health challenge. It is a chronic disease that affects airways. When people have asthma, the inside walls of their airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive,
and they may react strongly to things that they are allergic to or find
irritating. When airways react, they get narrower and lungs get less air. This
can cause wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing, especially
early in the morning or at night. When asthma symptoms become worse than usual,
it's called an asthma attack. In a severe asthma attack, the airways can close
so much that vital organs do not get enough oxygen. People can die from severe
asthma attacks.

 

More than 300 million people around the world have asthma, and the disease imposes a heavy burden on individuals, families, and societies. The Global Burden of Asthma Report, indicates that asthma control often falls
short and there are many barriers to asthma control around the world. Proper
long-term management of asthma will permit most patients to achieve good
control of their disease. Yet in many regions around the world, this goal is
often not met. Poor asthma control is also seen in the lifestyle limitations
experienced by some people with asthma. For example, in some regions, up to one
in four children with asthma is unable to attend school regularly because of
poor asthma control. Asthma deaths are the ultimate, tragic evidence of
uncontrolled asthma.

 

According to the Global Burden of Asthma Report, the majority of asthma deaths in some regions of the world are preventable. Effective asthma treatments exist and, with proper diagnosis, education, and treatment,
the great majority of asthma patients can achieve and maintain good control of
their disease. When asthma is under control, patients can live full and active
lives.

 

Pneumonia claims two million children under five each year, yet no new drug, vaccine or special diagnostic test is needed to save their lives. The answers are at hand, and effective treatment is both
inexpensive and widely available.

 

Host of other conditions that affect the lungs, are preventable, and often treatable.

 

Let us hope that 2010 Year of The Lung initiative of FIRS puts the spotlight on the long neglected part of human body which New York Times missed, the lungs.

 

Bobby Ramakant

Email: [e-mail]

 

Online at: http://www.citizen-news.org/2009/12/year-2010-is-declared-as-year-o...