In 2016, COPD was the second cause of death worldwide, because of expanding smoking patterns and exposure to polluted ambient air from cooking, heating and harmful particles indoors, among other things. I proposed this written declaration on chronic respiratory diseases because I believe a public health issue like COPD needs to be an EU issue. Has there been any development since then? Is the Parliament ready to take the initiative on COPD? Last year, you and some of your colleagues in the European Parliament signed a joint declaration on the issue. The EU cannot afford the cost of inaction against COPD. Not only to ensure the EU in all policies approach, but also to warn about lethal but slow diseases like chronic respiratory diseases. We need to rethink our healthcare systems to respond to the needs of patients with chronic respiratory diseases and I think the European Commission should take stock of the good examples that exist, and propose a white paper or a strategy guiding member states on what policies to consider preventing and managing diseases like COPD.
In Europe, we are conscious of the challenges posed by non-communicable diseases, like chronic respiratory diseases, but only a few countries have adopted national management plans for diseases like COPD.ĬOPD in Europe affects 1 in 10 people over 45 and it is among the 10 top causes of death in the European Union, varying from country to country. Is Europe sufficiently addressing this critical situation? What could be done better? Does the Commission have a role to play? She spoke with EURACTIV’s Sarantis Michalopoulos.ĬOPD is the second cause of death worldwide. Karin Kadenbach is an Austrian member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. Progress has been made on tobacco products health warnings but the next round of graphic labelling should also mention the less-known chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which happens to be the second cause of death worldwide, MEP Karin Kadenbach told.
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