COPD Foundation Celebrates National COPD Awareness Month; Highlights Need for Personalized, Community Support with “Me and COPD” Campaign
WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 28, 2015 – The COPD Foundation is pleased to celebrate COPD Awareness Month, an internationally recognized event held annually in November to enhance exposure around chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Throughout the month, the COPD Foundation will partner with respiratory health organizations to host various online and in-‐person activities that will allow COPD community members to rally, inform, and support one another. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a progressive lung disease with symptomsthat include shortness of breath, wheezing, and cough. It is responsible for 3 million deaths -‐ or 6% of all deaths worldwide -‐ and is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Key statistics about COPD include:
- 6.8 million adults, or nearly 3% of the total population, are suffering from COPD in the U.S.
- Every 4 minutes, someone dies in the U.S. of COPD
- COPD is the primary cause of 285,000 visits to the emergency hospitalizations annually in the U.S.
- Approximately one in five Americans over the age of 45 live with COPD
The Foundation’s awareness theme for the month is “Me and COPD,” which highlights the organization’s efforts to promote personalized care to members in the COPD community. The “Me and COPD” campaign was designed to recognize not only the patients affected by the disease, but caregivers, friends, family, and healthcare providers who may be indirectly impacted by COPD. The Foundation is asking anyone affected by this disease to help support its efforts by promoting the Foundation’s digital toolkit, which can be found at http://copdf.co/MeAndCOPD. Campaign resources include social media posts, infographics, videos and much more.
“This month-‐long campaign will help to intensify efforts to raise awareness that the number of people who have COPD is on the rise — more than 15 million are currently diagnosed in the
United States, and an estimated 12 million more may have COPD but not realize it,” said John W. Walsh, President and Co-‐founder of the COPD Foundation. “Given its growing prevalence and increase among non-‐smokers, the time has come to focus greater attention on this growing public health crisis. It is critical that we work together to raise awareness about prevention, early diagnosis and treatment and help to reverse a public health crisis that, ultimately, affects us all.” Walsh adds.
About the COPD Foundation
The COPD Foundation’s mission is to prevent and cure chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and improve the lives of all people affected by COPD. The Foundation’s activities focus on achieving these results through research, education and advocacy programs. To learn more or get involved, call the C.O.P.D. Information Line at 1-‐866-‐316-‐COPD (2673) or visit www.copdfoundation.org. To become a member of our community visit www.copd360social.org and join the conversation.
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