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Ministry works with doctors, pharma company to curb smoking-related lung disease
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Illustration of lung disease. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he Health Ministry is working with the Indonesian Society of Respirology (PDPI) and multinational biopharma company GSK Plc to scale up early diagnosis of chronic lung disease usually caused by smoking and expand treatment for millions of Indonesians suffering from such illnesses.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of progressive and incurable diseases, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, that cause lungs to become inflamed, damaged and narrowed, leading to obstructed airflow and breathing problems. It is mainly caused by tobacco smoke – either from active smoking or passive exposure to second-hand smoke – and prolonged exposure to air pollution.
People with COPD often find it more difficult to carry out their normal daily activities due to breathlessness. They are also at higher risk of other health problems such as lung infections, heart problems, weak muscles, brittle bones, depression and anxiety.
COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing 3.23 million deaths in 2019, according to data from the World Health Organization.
A 2013 survey by the Health Ministry found that some 3.7 percent of Indonesians suffered from COPD, and a 2016 study by the PDPI put the figure at 5.6 percent, meaning 8.5 million Indonesians are estimated to suffer from the disease.
A 2023 report by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) estimated that the increased prevalence of smoking coupled with an aging population would result in more than 5.4 million yearly deaths from COPD and related conditions worldwide by 2060.
Early diagnosis
