150 outpatient centres treating chronic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be built by AstraZeneca under the “Health lung” programme. (Photo: sggp.org.vn)Da Nang (VNA) – As many as 150 outpatient centres treatingchronic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be builtat total investment of 1 million USD by AstraZeneca multinationalpharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company under the “Health lung” programme.
The programme was launched by the Vietnam Medical Association, the VietnamRespiratory Society, the Vietnam Association against Tuberculosis and LungDiseases and AstraZeneca company in the central city of Da Nang on September21.
It aims to enhance management of asthma and COPD, contributing to reducing casesand deaths.
According to President of the Vietnam Respiratory Society Ngo Quy Chau, peoplediagnosed with COPD accounts for 4.2 percent of total population and most ofthem are at the age of 40. However, only 29.1 percent of the asthma patients,who make up 4.1 percent of total population, are taking medication while 39.7percent have good control of the disease.
Along with cigarettes and environmental pollution, pulmonary tuberculosis hasincreased risk of COPD, which puts a burden on society, Chau underlined.
Meanwhile, Le Thi Tuyet Lan, President of the Society of Asthma & Allergy& Clinical Immunology and Vice President of the Vietnam RespiratorySociety, said that the outpatient treatment network will help reduce economic andhealth care burdens for Vietnam.-VNA
VNA
