Islamabad, Pakistan’s leading health experts have raised alarms about the escalating Air Quality Index (AQI) in major cities of Sindh and Punjab, warning of increased risks of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD). This concern was voiced during an awareness seminar organized by the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (OICD) on World COPD Day at Dow International Medical College.
According to Dow University of Health Sciences, the seminar’s chief guest, Prof. Iftikhar Ahmed, Director of Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases and Dean Department of Medicine at Dow University, and other speakers including Lt. Col. Dr. Mehmood Malik, Lt. Col. Dr. Shumaila, and Prof. Faisal Fayyaz Zubairi, emphasized the dire health implications of worsening air quality. Prof. Ahmed pointed out that the increasing smog and smoke particles in Sindh and Punjab have made these regions some of the most polluted cities globally, likening the current situation to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. He highlighted the causes, including vehicular smoke, garbage burning, and industrial pollution, and called for societal and governmental action.
Prof. Faisal Fayyaz Zubairi stressed the two main causes of COPD – cigarette smoke and air pollution. He advocated for steps to reduce environmental pollution, such as limiting fuel-powered vehicles and promoting the electronic vehicle industry. The experts also recommended wearing masks as a precautionary measure.
The seminar revealed that approximately 4.5 million adults in Pakistan suffer from COPD, with tobacco smoking being a major cause for men and kitchen smoke for women. The disease, not curable and typically occurring in older individuals, requires long-term medication for breathing ease. The experts underscored that both smokers and non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke are at risk of developing COPD.
The seminar concluded with Prof. Iftikhar Ahmed presenting shields to the speakers, symbolizing the importance of continued awareness and action to tackle the health challenges posed by air pollution and COPD in Pakistan.