On Wednesday an alliance of Chinese doctors and lung specialists was set up to fight the deadly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The move was taken ahead of the fifth "World COPD Day" on November 16.

The Guangzhou-based alliance, originated by the Chinese Medical Association (CMA) and the German Boehringer Ingelheim Group, brings together respiratory specialists from across the country. It aims to raise public awareness, share clinical experience and advise policymakers about issues such as smoking and air pollution.

The COPD is a group of chronic lung diseases. As the disease worsens breathing becomes more difficult making it difficult to carryout daily activities. A COPD attack can be mild to life-threatening. And although COPD can be controlled it can’t be cured, experts say. 

The World Heath Organization say COPD and HIV/AIDS rank fourth on the list of deadly diseases after cardiopathy, cerebrovascular diseases and acute lung infection.

Zhong Nanshan, director of the CMA and one of the organizers of the alliance, said COPD poses a serious challenge to the medical world. 

China has more than 38 million COPD sufferers. About 8.2 percent of Chinese above 40 are COPD victims. About 100,000 people die of the disease each year. 

Experts said COPD in its early stages is often neglected because shortness of breath is often thought to be merely a sign of old age.

(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2006)