EFA highlights urgent need for change and comprehensive European strategy to fight COPD

The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients` Associations`(EFA) has launched a book comparing and analysing the situation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Europe for the first time from the patients' perspective. The Book highlights an urgent need to reduce the suffering and mortality from this disease, which will - if not tackled appropriately - be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030.

Launched to coincide with World COPD Day 2009, the 'EFA Book on COPD in Europe. Sharing and Caring,' represents an unprecedented collection of data on the quality of care, disease management, social and financial burden of COPD in Europe and highlights serious shortfalls across many measures.

The book sheds light on an 'underdiagnosed, undertreated and neglected disease.' It stresses that the misclassification and different definitions of COPD throughout Europe lead to underestimations of the actual impact of the disease. European Member of Parliament Catherine Stihler said: 'I highly commend the work of EFA. It is vital that people across Europe and the world are made aware of COPD. At least 44 million people across Europe are suffering from the disease, and the figure is set to rise each year.'