Dubai: International respiratory experts discussed the challenge of tackling the rising incidence of chronic respiratory diseases in the Middle East region at the Fourth Regional Respiratory Expert Forum in Istanbul, Turkey last week.
Statistics indicate that chronic respiratory diseases like asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Idiopathic Fibrosis (IPF) are on the rise in the region due to rapidly changing weather and environmental conditions.
Approximately 24 per cent of the population in Saudi Arabia, 7-8 per cent of the population in Egypt, and 3.45 per cent in Algeria suffer from respiratory diseases, In the UAE about 12.3 per cent of asthma patients report to the emergency in a year.
COPD, which is a condition characterised by progressive narrowing of the airways leading to the lungs, is ranked as the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, and is expected to become the third leading cause by 2030. IPF affects as many as 14-43 people per 100,000 population worldwide.
Experts said that with awareness and effective treatment patients can mitigate the complications and suffering.
Dr Medhat Abdul Khalek, Professor of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Head of Pulmonary Hypertension Unit, Cairo University, Egypt, said, “We often come across COPD cases having been previously misdiagnosed as asthma, leading to inappropriate treatment and suboptimal patient outcomes. The misdiagnosis is often attributed to diagnostic confusion between COPD and asthma in primary care patients. Increased awareness of the differences between the two conditions is needed to promote optimal patient management and treatment.”
Dr Habib Ghedira, Head of Respiratory Department at Abderrahmane Mami Hospital of Ariana, Tunisia, said, “The unmet needs in asthma management continue to prevail, leading to persistent symptoms, exacerbations, hospitalisation, time off work and mortality. Despite patients being introduced to maintenance therapies, at least 40 per cent of patients remain symptomatic. New maintenance therapy is the need of the hour to be able to help patients derive optimal outcomes.”
The forum organised by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingleheim saw participation from over 100 leading regional and international experts who engaged in lectures, panel discussions and interactive sessions to highlight the latest scientific advances in the treatment and management of these respiratory diseases.
