The World Health Organisation has identified three priority areas requiring additional funding and/or reallocation of resources: mental health; diabetes, and respiratory problems – the most serious and prevalent respiratory disease is by far COPD.

GOLD, the Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, is engaged in awareness raising of COPD around the world. GOLD is a collaboration between leading respiratory physicians, the World Health Organization, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (part of the United States Federal Government’s National Institutes of Health), and pharmaceutical companies.

World COPD Day, a Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) project, was first marked on 20 November 2002 in more than 100 countries. The event represents a partnership between healthcare groups and respiratory educators to raise awareness about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and it will be held again on Wednesday 21 November 2007.

Due to the high mortality rate and disease burden of COPD in Australia, the Australian Lung Foundation (ALF) has developed a "National Approach to COPD Funding" submission which was presented to the Australian Government late in 2006. Visit www.lungnet.org.au for more details.