Overview
- Union Health Minister JP Nadda said the NP-NCD program is prioritizing early COPD screening and diagnosis, with Ayushman Arogya Mandirs offering easy access for people aged 30 and above and strengthened referrals for timely care.
- Kamineni Hospital in Hyderabad is offering pulmonary function testing with a pulmonologist consultation for Rs 400 through November 22, compared with the usual cost of about Rs 3,000.
- The World Health Organization reports COPD caused 3.5 million deaths in 2021, ranking it as the fourth leading cause of death globally.
- COPD is driven mainly by long-term smoking and polluted air, symptoms often surface only after significant damage and later in life, and in the U.S. more than 12.5 million people are diagnosed with many more likely undetected.
- While not curable, COPD can be managed with inhaled medications, oxygen, pulmonary rehabilitation and selected procedures, and patients are advised to keep up with influenza, COVID-19 and pneumococcal vaccinations.