Wednesday 15th November is international World COPD Day and staff at Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation will be raising awareness of the lung disease at the Primary Health Care Service in Broken Hill.
COPD - or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – causes shortness of breath and a cough and for people who live with it, it’s like breathing through a straw every day.
Smoking is the leading cause of COPD.
Chief Executive Officer, Bob Davis says Maari Ma’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking team works with the community to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through efforts to reduce harm from tobacco such as COPD.
“Raising awareness in our communities about the health impacts of smoking and passive smoking, and supporting communities to establish smoke-free homes, workplaces and public spaces is one of our key primary prevention programs.
“It is through awareness raising activities such as this campaign that we hope we can make a difference” Mr Davis said.
Maari Ma’s COPD event will be held at the Primary Health Care Service from 9.00am to 12 midday, Wednesday 15th November and there will be resources and activities.
“We’ll start the day with a pancake breakfast.
“There will be spirometry testing to test lung power, one of our GP’s, Dr Stephen Gaggin will be available to talk about COPD and smoking, and how smoking can increase the chance of COPD in children.
“People will also have a chance to go into a lung power straw balloon blowing competition with prizes to be won.
“We encourage people to come along and improve their awareness of COPD” Mr Davis said.
10th November 2017
For more information please contact
Manager Community Engagement, Kaylene Kemp
08 8082 9888
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD is a lung disease that affects 14% (or one in seven) Australians aged 40 or over. This figure increases to 29% in Australians aged 75 or over.
7.5% of Australians 40 years old or over have COPD that has progressed to where symptoms may already be present and affecting daily life. Half of these people will not know they have COPD.
COPD is the second leading cause of avoidable hospital admissions.
In 2013, COPD was the fifth leading cause of death in Australia. In that year 6,462 people died from COPD (4.4% of all deaths).
Despite falling death rates, COPD is still a leading cause of death and disease burden after heart disease, stroke and cancer.
COPD is diagnosed by Spirometry.
While there is currently no cure for COPD, there are things people can do to be more active with less troublesome breathing, keep out of hospital and have better quality of life.
