This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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International medical conference in Glasgow
03/09/2004
Over 14,000 experts on lung disease will be in Glasgow
this weekend as participants in one of the world's biggest
scientific conferences.
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) conference will
highlight the growing problem of Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - expected to be the fourth
biggest killer worldwide by 2010.
Opening the congress, Deputy Health Minister Tom McCabe
said:
"I am delighted that the ERS have decided to hold this
year's congress - its first ever in the UK - in
Glasgow.
"It is particularly fitting that the city has been
chosen this year for a number of reasons, not least because
Glasgow has been highlighted as having one of the poorest
health records in the UK, particularly when it comes to
smoking.
"That the ERS is drawing our attention to COPD, also
known as chronic bronchitis, is particularly striking,
given that cigarette smoking is almost exclusively the
cause of both.
"If COPD is on the increase, it is even more important
that we address the issue of smoking rates in Scotland, of
which Glasgow has one of the highest.
"Smoking kills 13,000 Scots each year and is responsible
for thousands more hospital admissions. That is why in
Scotland we are determined to take firm action on smoking
in public places in order to protect the health of the
public from second hand tobacco smoke.
"The Executive is currently engaged in a widespread
public consultation on the issue. The response rate to the
consultation has so far been excellent. However, there is
still time for those who haven't yet responded to do
so."
In world terms, COPD death will increase from 2.2
million in 1990 to 4.7 million in 2020.
Lung diseases including COPD, pneumonia, TB and lung
cancer represent the leading cause of death worldwide. In
terms of mortality, incidence, prevalence and cost they
rank second, behind only cardiovascular diseases.