VIDEO PROJECT ON THE EVE OF WORLD ASTHMA DAY 2011

First Tuesday of May is not a usual day – it’s World Asthma Day (WAD). So, why not express yourself if this theme touches your health?

As for me, it seems that we need more information for general public, for patients, for health care specialists and policy makers. It is important to make information available for specialists working in developing countries, as namely there we feel lack of medical knowledge and also absence of the educational programs for asthma patients.

Somebody can disagree but I can bring a simple example of that insufficiency:

I was trying to find a professional video for promotion of World Asthma Day 2011 in internet and the surprising result was that online resources are poor. So I would like to suggest to change this strange situation and to create a common video. It will be our collective work called “First Group World Asthma Day 2011 Video”. You can share the material you think will be useful – visual material, as pictures, photos, schemes, charts, everything related to this Non-communicable disease. 

                

                    

Since early civilization asthma has been recognized and has been well described by physicians over the centuries, with particular understanding of mechanisms. Whereas 30-40 years ago patients suffering from acute asthma attacks were admitted to the emergency department several times a day, today this has been reduced to a couple of patients a year. Treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in the first instance, followed by the use of combination therapy with ICS and long-acting b-agonists later on has greatly improved the long-term prognosis of asthma patients. Meanwhile, there are still a number of patients that are not well controlled even with a high-dose combination therapy. Near fatal asthma attacks still occur and asthma mortality, although low, is still present.

I would like to mention The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) which is truly great initiative and every year produces updates for global asthma guidelines. This year I attended an Italian Congress: 2011 International guidelines on rhinitis, asthma and COPD Global Initiatives ARIA, GINA and GOLD, after that in April 2011 I joined GINA as a member of Assembly for my home country, Republic of Moldova. GINA guidelines is the most credible and sure source for management of asthma patients for respiratory specialists all over the world.

For online promotion of WAD 2011 we created the event of Respiratory Decade on facebook ; also a group on facebook and on twitter were created. There you can follow everyday updated information, pictures, patients and world asthma experts’ opinions, links.

Another useful sort is European Respiratory Society that prepared and published European Respiratory Monograph on Difficult-to-Treat Asthma edited by professors K.F. Chung and S.E. Bel, which includes 22 chapters written by world leaders in Asthma. 

World Asthma Day 2011 is a wonderful possibility to show the world that asthma patients need attention. It is obvious that we cannot limit and demonstrate our attention and global interest only while that day. What we need – its everyday Respiratory awareness, which we are trying to promote here. “World Asthma Day Video” may be the first step. 

Mila CORLATEANU
Alexandru CORLATEANU, MD, PhD

Easter Greetings from Respiratory Decade

Dear Respiratory Decade friends,

We want to wish Happy Easter to you and your families!

We are grateful for your outstanding contribution to Respiratory Decade in the world and your continuing support of Respiratory Decade campaign!

We will be happy to know your opinion about Respiratory Decade: what we need to change or what you can propose for the future development of our initiative!

Respiratory Decade is a young organization but we are realizing good things by supporting of our members, by promoting of lung health all over the world, by implying new partners in the project! Also Respiratory Decade is trying to share with their readers Respiratory events organized by world known respiratory societies like European Respiratory society and results of modern respiratory research!

Recently Respiratory Decade decided to take part in the preparation and promotion of United Nations High Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases that will take place in September, 2011.

We try to create social media Respiratory platform:

• with online tools which can facilitate conversations about Respiratory diseases;
• with connections between Respiratory friends, peers and influencers;
• with international collaborations;
• with a call for humanizing personas and audiences, and the stories that link them together;
• with compassion;
• with words, pictures, video, chatter, audio, and also experiences, observations, opinions, news, and insights.

Breath with us on:

                            

It is a pleasure for our team to have you here signed up for our action on Respiratory Diseases!

Happy Easter!

Best regards, 

On behalf of Respiratory Decade team

Alexandru Corlateanu, MD, PhD

What read your friends or another Respiratory fans?

Today we are starting to publish useful Respiratory resources for you! Now you can see and also read, what like to read your friends or another Respiratory fans! You can save this page and you will have permanent updated Respiratory information!

Respiratory Decade

European Respiratory Society

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD)

The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 

LET’S COMMUNICATE ABOUT NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Do you know what a non-communicable disease is?

Do you know what impact it has on world economy?

Do you have this disease? May be your relatives or friends? 

Are they dangerous?

Here the answers to these questions:

Non-communicable disease is a medical condition or disease which is non-infectious and is of long duration and generally slow progression. They include mainly heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory disease.

The central problem of non-communicable diseases is that ordinary patients have no idea about this problem that we all worry about. Practically you cannot see a patient which will declare that he or she has "a non-communicable disease"! It is a huge problem! That is why we need more communication about chronic diseases!

Non-communicable diseases currently account for 35 million deaths annually worldwide out of 58.7 million, the majority of them in low and middle-income countries (28.1 million). In developing countries alone, an estimated 8 million such deaths per year are premature, that is below 60 years of age, and could potentially be prevented. The prevalence and impact of non-communicable diseases continue to grow. Chronic diseases account for 60% of all deaths worldwide, and 80% of these deaths occur in low- or middle-income countries, where the toll is disproportionate during the prime productive years of youth and middle age.

A recent report from the World Health Organization identified six risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases as the leading global risk factors for death: high blood pressure, tobacco use, high blood glucose levels, physical inactivity, overweight or obesity, and high cholesterol levels. 

We need initiative in fighting of non-communicable diseases and risk factors not only from policy makers, but from all human community: patients, doctors and persons which are interested in respiratory pathologies. Unfortunately majority of policy makers make promotion of themselves by non-communicable diseases. From my point of view we need a higher implication of patients and medical structures.

            There are no important and less important diseases, but we can see this simplistic approach in health care systems all over the world. Meanwhile, there are some inspiring actions, for example:

The Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance was launched in May 2009 at an event in Geneva titled 'Health and Development: Held back by Non-Communicable diseases'. The Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance is a formal alliance of four international federations representing the four main NCDs outlined in the World Health Organization’s 2008-2013 Action Plan for NCDs – cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease.

The world known medical journal LANCET is publishing series dedicated to Non-Communicable Diseases. On 6 April 2011, Professor Robert Beaglehole wrote: “The United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in September, 2011, is an unprecedented opportunity to create a sustained global movement against premature death and preventable morbidity and disability from NCDs, mainly heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease. The increasing global crisis in NCDs is a barrier to development goals including poverty reduction, health equity, economic stability, and human security.” The last comparable United Nations High Level Meeting meeting was on AIDS in 2001 and led to the creation of Global Fund.

The Lancet NCD Action Group and the NCD Alliance propose several priority actions: leadership, prevention, treatment, international cooperation, and monitoring and accountability. Also were proposed and five priority interventions (which are very realistic) - tobacco control, salt reduction, improved diets and physical activity, reduction in hazardous alcohol intake, and essential drugs and technologies. 

RESPIRATORY DECADE suggests working together on common aim: to help people with Non-Communicable Diseases and to prevent the increase of these diseases in the world by simple interventions on tobacco, salt, diets, alcohol!

RESPIRATORY DECADE invites you to European Respiratory Society 2011 Annual Congress in Amsterdam

We invite you to participate in European Respiratory Society 2011 Annual Congress in Amsterdam!

European Respiratory Society 2011 Annual Congress in Amsterdam will be the largest and the greatest  Respiratory event of this year! 

Program of the Congress is very variable: there are Educational and Scientific parts, also will be organized special exams HERMES: European examinations in Adult respiratory medicine and in Paediatric respiratory medicine.

Educational part: 19 Postgraduate courses, 1 Workshop, 18 Meet Professor Seminars and 4 Early morning Seminars. For Scientific part was created a programme that covers novelties and most recent data presentations. The ERS 2011 Annual Congress Scientific Programme features 46 day-time symposia, with a further 23 evening symposia. Hot Topic sessions include 'fixed ratio or other ways to define COPD: what can we learn from others'; 'the value of patients as partners in research', 'bone marrow-derived stem cells in respiratory diseases: a future therapy?', 'new dimensions in respiratory clinics', 'recent therapeutic advances with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors in non-small-cell lung cancer', and 'exhaled biomarker profiles in paediatric respiratory disease: from bench to bedside'.

Now its available:

We look forward to meeting YOU in Amsterdam, September 2011, capital of the Netherlands and, for five days, international capital of RESPIRATORY medicine and research.

Liudmila CORLATEANU

official press-officer of RESPIRATORY DECADE on European Respiratory Society 2011 Annual Congress in Amsterdam

April is Sarcoidosis Awareness month

Hello To Everyone!

April is Sarcoidosis awareness month! Sarcoidosis Global Social Network would like to express gratitude and appreciation to all its members this April 2011!  

It is now 2011 and three years after the US Congress declared April as National Sarcoidosis Awareness month in 2008 with the H. Res. 1149 In the House of Representatives, U. S. April 30, 2008.

Sarcoidosis is a multi system disease of unknown etiology. Public awareness research and funding is essential. Sarcoidosis Global Social Network is asking all to join and bring on the challenge this April 2011.

This April 2011, let us build upon advocacy public awareness as individuals and on a global scale. We can focus on promoting research for the management and cure of Sarcoidosis disease. Everyone can devote a bit of time reaching out to the public in some creative way to the public and communities via medical, lawmakers, media and pharmaceutical companies et al.

Let us focus and build upon existing findings and strive for stronger laws and research for the unknown etiologies of Sarcoidosis. Everyone has the creative tools and resources to do so! Know act is thought to be too small or large!

Please remember that ‘one individual’ can make the difference. Let us all be that ‘one’ individual and join as a global advocate community! We all can promote and build toward the ultimate goal, finding a cure. Sarcoidosis is not a wall but a hurdle that can be overcome with the right resources, dedication, solutions and time.

Let us all do our part and make a difference in reaching goals for new treatments and support all individuals who live with Sarcoidosis this April 2011 and for the years to come!

Below are examples that we all can participate in or implement in April 2011 and beyond to make an impact:

~ Write you’re U.S. Senator’s or a Representative! ~ Become an advocate or partner in an organization(s)!

~ Promote advocacy & policy benchmarks! ~ Utilize social media platform(s) to build to a global audience!

~ Donate funding research via non-profit corporation (501 (c)(3) or foundation!

~ Other ideas? Implement and share them!

Thank you everyone for all your support and participation! Sarcoidosis Global Social Network is looking forward in viewing the impacts that helped build the promotion of April's Sarcoidosis public awareness month!

Sincerely, 

Beth Motzfeldt-Wagemann

member of RESPIRATORY DECADE team

Sarcoidosis Global Social Network 

RESPIRATORY DECADE supporting Global Asbestos Awareness Week Educational Campaign April 1-7, 2011

We, as the RESPIRATORY DECADE, support the Global Asbestos Awareness Week Educational Campaign April 1-7 to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure.

The RESPIRATORY DECADE agrees with the World Health Organization’s (WHO), International Labor Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Surgeon General, and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration that asbestos is a known human carcinogen and there is not safe level of exposure. 

Recently the World Health Organization’s (WHO) increased the annual number of workers fatalities from 90,000 to 107,000.

Global Asbestos Awareness Week brings attention not only to the respiratory and carcinogenic dangers of asbestos, but also to their prevention. This week represents a call to action to pursue the commitment to eliminating asbestos-related diseases in four strategic directions: 

·        by recognizing that the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop the use of all types of asbestos;

·        to provide information about solutions for replacing asbestos with safer substitutes and developing economic and technological mechanisms to stimulate its replacement;

·        to take measures to prevent exposure to asbestos in place and during asbestos removal (abatement); and

·        to improve early diagnosis, treatment, social and medical rehabilitation of asbestos-related diseases and to establish registries of people with past and/or current exposures to asbestos in order to track the progress of these actions.

We hereby urge support the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization’s Global Asbestos Awareness Week to protect the public’s health from preventable asbestos-caused diseases.

Sincerely,

On behalf of RESPIRATORY DECADE team

Alexandru CORLATEANU