Biennial conference: Rapid rise in respiratory diseases a cause for concern

Over 1,000 doctors to share latest techniques.

ISLAMABAD:

The absence of a national policy and weak implementation of anti-tobacco laws in Pakistan has resulted in the rise of both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Health experts at the 11th Biennial International Conference on Chest Disease and Lungs Health expressed concern over the rapid spread of respiratory diseases in the country.

The inaugural session of a four-day international conference was held on Saturday evening at a local hotel and was organised by the Pakistan Chest Society. Around 1,000 respiratory physicians, surgeons and specialists from across the country and abroad are participating in the conference to conduct workshops and share the latest techniques.

“Infectious diseases are acute and non-infectious diseases are prolonged, usually claiming lives in Pakistan,” said Prof. Martyn Partridge, professor of respiratory medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London.

“It’s the responsibility of every individual in the field of medicine to try new approaches and educate patients about their treatment.”

Arshad Javed, head of the Pulmonology department at the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, said in Pakistan we are facing a major challenge of disease caused by smoking, tobacco use and both indoor and outdoor pollution. Every day, the number of cigarette and sheesha smokers are increasing in the country. “Weak implementation of anti-tobacco laws across the country is a major reason behind the surge in the number of cases.”

According to The BREATHE, a cross-sectional epidemiology study in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the prevalence rate in Pakistan is as high as 2.1 per cent in people aged 40 years and above, he added.

Dr Javed said the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases was rising, despite free treatment available under the DOTS programme. “According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates every year, 5,00,000 new cases of TB are reported in Pakistan. The more we try to control it the faster it spreads.”

He expressed concern over the absence of legislation for the safety of industrial workers and labourers employed in stone crushing and coal mines. “They work in a hazardous environment, which makes them vulnerable to disease.”

Dr Osman Yusuf, adviser to WHO Global Programme on Respiratory Diseases and a representative of Pakistan for Global Initiative against Obstructive Lung Disease, said, “The prevalence of chronic bronchitis in patients over 65 is 14 per cent and 6 per cent in rural women and men respectively, and 9 per cent with no sex difference in urban areas.”

Chronic bronchitis is highest among women in rural areas due to direct exposure to indoor pollution, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2014.