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World Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COPD) Day is marked annually on November 20.

World COPD Day is organized by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in collaboration with health care professionals and COPD patient groups throughout the world. Its aim is to raise awareness, share knowledge, and discuss ways to reduce the burden of COPD worldwide.

The first World COPD Day was held in 2002. Each year organizers in more than 50 countries have carried out activities, making the day one of the world's most important COPD awareness and education events.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common lung disease causing restricted airflow and breathing problems. It is sometimes called emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

COPD is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, causing 3.5 million deaths in 2021, approximately 5% of all global deaths

In people with COPD, the lungs can get damaged or clogged with phlegm. Symptoms include cough, sometimes with phlegm, difficulty breathing, wheezing and tiredness.

Smoking and air pollution are the most common causes of COPD. People with COPD are at higher risk of other health problems.

COPD is not curable but symptoms can improve if one avoids smoking and exposure to air pollution and gets vaccines to prevent infections. It can also be treated with medicines, oxygen and pulmonary rehabilitation.

The most common symptoms of COPD are difficulty breathing, chronic cough (sometimes with phlegm) and feeling tired.

Several processes can cause the airways to become narrow and lead to COPD. There may be destruction of parts of the lung, mucus blocking the airways, and inflammation and swelling of the airway lining.

COPD develops gradually over time, often resulting from a combination of risk factors:

• tobacco exposure from active smoking or passive exposure to second-hand smoke;
• occupational exposure to dusts, fumes or chemicals;
• indoor air pollution: biomass fuel (wood, animal dung, crop residue) or coal is frequently used for cooking and heating in low- and middle-income countries with high levels of smoke exposure;
• early life events such as poor growth in utero, prematurity, and frequent or severe respiratory infections in childhood that prevent maximum lung growth;
• asthma in childhood; and
• a rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which can cause COPD at a young age.

COPD isn’t curable, but it can get better by not smoking, avoiding air pollution and getting vaccines. It can be treated with medicines, oxygen and pulmonary rehabilitation.