[Brussels, 20 November 2024] — On World COPD Day, the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations (EFA) launches its new 2024 COPD Standards of Care Report. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death globally, affects over 36 million people across Europe[1], yet it remains shockingly under-recognised and undiagnosed. The report examines care in 19 European countries, revealing critical gaps in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and calls for urgent regional policy action to reduce COPD’s escalating economic and social burden in Europe.
Key findings across Europe:
Care Gaps: The report reveals significant delays in COPD diagnosis due to limited lung health checks for at-risk populations and inadequate screening policies. Patients across Europe face substantial barriers to accessing diagnosis and therapy, including pulmonary rehabilitation and patient empowerment programs which are essential for the management of chronic respiratory diseases.
Economic and Social Impact: COPD costs the EU €38.6 billion each year in direct healthcare expenses, with additional costs from lost productivity and early retirement which further straining economies[2]. Improved COPD care across Europe could reduce these healthcare expenditures and ease the broader socioeconomic burden, benefiting patients, healthcare systems, and society as a whole.
Growing Prevalence: COPD prevalence has increased over the years and it starts growing in men and women in particular from age 35. The report also notes a rising and more aggressive trend among women due to higher smoking rates and increased vulnerability to environmental factors.
EFA Call to action for the EU
The report outlines strategic recommendations to improve COPD care across Europe. These include prioritising preventive measures and early detection through systematic lung health checks, strengthening primary healthcare systems, and ensuring equitable access to quality treatments. EFA calls on European policymakers and national governments to work together to implement comprehensive national lung health plans that will support those living with COPD and enhance overall public health.
“COPD has been overlooked for far too long, and it is time to break the cycle of neglect” said EFA President Marcia Podestà. “COPD patients need earlier diagnosis, better access to care, and support that empowers them to manage their disease effectively. Lung health is at a critical juncture, with COPD representing one of the most significant challenges in public health. We call on European and national policymakers to urgently act, to prioritise prevention and detection, patient-centred care and social policies to ultimately raise the bar and drive forward new standards in COPD care across Europe.”
Read the full report on our website.
---ENDS---
Notes to editors
About EFA
The European Federation of Allergies and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) is the European voice for over 200 million people living with allergies and airways diseases. EFA brings together 42 national associations from 26 countries and channels their knowledge and demands to European institutions, while striving to achieve greater patient participation in decision making at local, national and European level.
About EFA’s Standards of Care Project
In 2013, EFA published the “Minimum Standards of Care for COPD Patients in Europe” report, which set a benchmark for COPD care across Europe. Now, ten years later, EFA’s 2024 COPD Standards of Care Project seeks to evaluate the progress made since then and address the current gaps in care. Through this project, EFA and its members are driving progress with new policy recommendations.
References
[1] WHO. Global Health Estimates 2019: Disease burden by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region, 2000-2019. 2020.
[2] Forum of International Respiratory Societies. The global impact of respiratory disease. Third Edition. 2021.
EFA is thankful to its sustainable corporate partners Roche and Sanofi and Regeneron Alliance for their unrestricted grants 2023 for the COPD Standards of Care project that made this Report possible, and to its sustainable corporate partners AstraZeneca, Roche and Sanofi and Regeneron Alliance for their unrestricted grants 2024 for this COPD Beyond Care project.
For more information or to access the full report, please visit the website link or contact EFA Communications Team at