2018 World COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Day

The World COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Day is observed every year on 21st of November by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) to raise awareness of COPD and to improve prevention and treatment of this lung disease for patients around the world. The 2018 theme is ‘Never too early, never too late’. The COPD is not one single disease but an umbrella term used to describe chronic lung diseases that cause limitations in lung airflow. Tobacco smoking is the most common cause of COPD. The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, or a ‘need for air’, excessive sputum production, and a chronic cough. According to the latest WHO estimates (2004), currently 64 million people have COPD and 3 million people died of COPD. WHO predicts that COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030.