World Lung Day (WLD), 25 September, is a day for lung health advocacy and action, an opportunity for us all to unite and promote better lung health globally.
Respiratory diseases impose an immense worldwide health burden. The facts are shocking:
- 384 million people suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 3 million die from it each year, making it the third leading cause of death worldwide.
- 10 million people develop tuberculosis and 1.6 million die from it each year, making it the most common lethal infectious disease.
- 1.76 million people die from lung cancer each year, making it the most deadly cancer.
- 334 million people suffer from asthma, making it the most common chronic disease of childhood. It affects 14 percent of children globally − and rising.
- Pneumonia kills millions of people each year making it a leading cause of death in the very young and very old.
- 91 percent of the world’s population live in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits.
More: https://www.firsnet.org/index.php/news-and-events/news-article/132-world-lung-day
