World Lung Day 2022-Lung health for all.

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) designated 25 September 2022 as the World Lung Day 2022 to raise global awareness and action towards better lung health. The goals of World Lung Day 2022 are to reduce the burden of respiratory diseases, with an emphasis on equal access to respiratory care and treatment without regard to socioeconomic status of respective countries, and early detection of treatable respiratory condition. Let us be reminded of the imminent burden of the Big Five respiratory diseases, namely asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer, and the influence of air pollution, smoking and global warming aggravating the socioeconomic burden from these ‘Big Five’. Asthma affects 1%–18% of population, including both children and adults, in different countries. In children, the diagnosis of asthma and suboptimal control have significant impact on the physical and psychological growth and development of children. In adults, suboptimal control of asthma may even be fatal, or may result in absence from work or psychosocial morbidity. Asthma commonly associates with atopic phenomenon like eczema and rhinitis. Exposure to air pollution and smoking may make asthma symptoms worse. Occupational and environmental situation may give persistent allergen or irritant exposure making asthma control difficult. Access to inhaled controller or reliever therapy, as well as newer biologics, could be an issue in low-to-middle income (LMIC) countries. Asthma education is of utmost important to improve self-control of asthma. The global prevalence of COPD among people aged 30–79 years is estimated to be 10 3%. The health burden of COPD came from acute exacerbation, leading to increased use of medications and hospitalizations, which are usually recurrent events. Patients with COPD usually present with co-morbidities like ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, lung cancer, depression and anxiety. Smoking cessation is the first and foremost mission for chronic smokers, not to mention COPD subjects are to stop smoking immediately and completely. Access to relevant inhalers is limited in many LMIC countries. Pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) is essential for COPD patients to enhance their self-care ability and to help them to stay as active as possible, but the access to PRP is often limited in LMIC countries. Pneumonia accounts for 14% of all deaths of children under 5 years old, and elderly people with medical co-morbidities being the other at-risk group. Pneumonia affects children and families all over the world, but deaths from pneumonia are highest in LMIC countries, where people may have weakened immunity from malnutrition. Preexisting illnesses, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), increase the risk of contracting pneumonia. Immunization is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia. More than 10 million cases of TB are reported and 1.5 million people die from TB each year. Pulmonary TB is associated with poverty and common in LMIC countries. Pulmonary TB is a leading cause of death in people with AIDS and also a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance. Treatment for drug-resistant TB is longer and more costly and treatment adherence can be difficult. Summary