Plan to fight against chronic respiratory diseases in Algiers

The setting up of a national plan to fight against respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the main recommendation of a conference on Saturday in Algiers on respiratory diseases. During the conference, specialists in respiratory diseases emphasized the importance of treatment of respiratory illnesses, through early diagnosis and the fight against risk factors. COPD is a chronic systemic disease of respiratory origin, reaching the bronchi. It is characterized by a slow and progressive obstruction of the airways and lungs. Signs of the disease are mainly cough, sputum and respiratory difficulties. Professor Salim Nafti, Head of Respiratory Diseases at Mustapha Pasha Hospital told APS that the incidence of COPD was increasing, due to air pollution, smoking, the coal use in rural environment and occupational diseases.