Overview
- GOLD marks November 19 with the theme “Short of Breath, Think COPD,” citing roughly 3 million deaths a year and studies showing up to 70% of cases go undiagnosed, and calls for wider spirometry access and training.
- India’s health minister says the NP-NCD programme will prioritise early screening and referrals for people over 30 through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
- Kamineni Hospital in Hyderabad is offering discounted pulmonary function tests with specialist consultations through November 22 to encourage testing.
- Doctors report Delhi’s “severe” air quality is aggravating respiratory illness, with non‑smoking women facing rising COPD risk due to combined outdoor pollution and indoor exposures.
- Experts highlight nicotine replacement therapy, when paired with counselling, as an evidence-based way to boost long-term quit rates and reduce COPD risk.