Prioritised research agenda for prevention and control of chronic respiratory diseases

TLDR

WHO’s 2008‑2013 action plan prioritises chronic respiratory diseases, which affect about a billion people worldwide, cause significant morbidity and disability, and can be mitigated by effective prevention and control measures. The study proposes a prioritised research agenda to guide global efforts against non‑communicable diseases, focusing on chronic respiratory diseases. The agenda calls for integrating CRD‑specific interventions with cross‑cutting NCD programmes that emphasize health promotion and disease prevention.

Abstract

The 2008-2013 World Health Organization (WHO) action plan on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) includes chronic respiratory diseases as one of its four priorities. Major chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) include asthma and rhinitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, occupational lung diseases, sleep-disordered breathing, pulmonary hypertension, bronchiectiasis and pulmonary interstitial diseases. A billion people suffer from chronic respiratory diseases, the majority being in developing countries. CRDs have major adverse effects on the life and disability of patients. Effective intervention plans can prevent and control CRDs, thus reducing morbidity and mortality. A prioritised research agenda should encapsulate all of these considerations in the frame of the global fight against NCDs. This requires both CRD-targeted interventions and transverse NCD programmes which include CRDs, with emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.