FIRS The Global Impact of Respiratory Disease – Second Edition | Page 33

Summary
Respiratory diseases are an enormous
challenge to life, health and productive human
activity. Prevention, control and cure of these
diseases and promotion of respiratory health
must be a top priority in global decision-
making in the health sector. The control,
prevention and cure of respiratory diseases
are among the most cost-effective health
interventions available – a “best-buy” in the
view of the WHO. Investment in respiratory
health will pay manifold dividends in longevity,
healthy living days and national economies.
Public awareness and control of the
environment are important steps to preventing
respiratory diseases. The key controllable
factors are reduction in tobacco smoking and
improvement in air quality, which includes
reduction in second-hand tobacco smoke,
smoke from indoor fi re, and unhealthy public
and workplace air. Strengthening childhood
immunisation programmes and greater
availability of the pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine must be a priority in low-income
countries. Prevention and timely treatment
of HIV infection can have major impact in
reducing the burden of respiratory illness.
Effective training of healthcare workers and
making available medications and appropriate
diagnostics are keys to better lung health.
improvement in air quality has reduced
deaths and hospitalisations for heart and lung
diseases. Legislation and political action on
clean air makes a difference. The respiratory
societies of the world believe that everyone
has the right to breathe clean air [59] and
we ask lawmakers to enact and enforce
clean air standards in all countries.
Finally, research in respiratory diseases is the
hope for today and the promise for tomorrow.
Research must answer many questions: how do
lung diseases arise, how do they are spread,
who is vulnerable, and what actions can be
used control or cure them, to name a few.
Research must also help us understand what
keeps people healthy. Measures developed
from the research must be cost-effecti ve
and widely applicable. Increased funding to
support respiratory research is needed.
FIRS calls on all governments, communities,
healthcare practitioners and individuals to
promote these effective preventive measures
that have reduced tobacco consumption in
many countries.
The health benefi ts of clean air policies are
far reaching. Several studies have shown
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Forum of International Respiratory Societies