Lok Sabha Question No. 2243 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: C.N. Annadurai, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Gautham Sigamani Pon, Dhanush M Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUE STION NO. 2243 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 RD SEPTEMBER, 2020

## CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

## 2243. SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMAN I PON:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMA R:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the second most common cause of death in the country after heart disease;

(b)  whether  Government  is  giving  any  attention  to this  disease  in  view  of  the  COVID - 19 pandemic and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government has initiated any awareness programme about the disease, if o the details thereof;

(d) the number of people suffering from COPD and the states where it is most prevalent along with numberof patients who have been given treatment/treated and patients died during each of the last three years;

(e) whether the Government has launched a national programme for prevention and control of COPD and ifso, the details thereof and the achievement made thereunder since its inception; and

(f) the other preventive measures taken to make available affordable drugs/trea tment to the low income/poor people of the country for COPD?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)to( f) : According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study titled 'India: Health of the Nation's States' published by ICMR in November, 2017, Chronic Respiratory Diseases, which includes COPD, accounted for 10.9% of total death and 6.4% of total Disability Adj usted Life Years (DALY). As per an article published in Lancet journal in 2018, the number of Chr Obstructive Pulmonary  Disease  (COPD) cases in  India was estimated to be 55.3 million 2016. Crude prevalence of COPD was estimated to be high in Himacha l Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir.

Through National  Programme  for  Prevention  and Control of  Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular  diseases  and  Stroke  (NPCDCS),  the  Government  of  India  is  providing package  of  services  for  preventive,  promoti ve,  curative  and  supportive  care  for  COPD  at various  government  health  facilities.  Under  the  NPCDCS  programme,  the  health  promotio activities for behaviour change, lifestyle modification, counselling, awareness genera prevention of risk factors wi th special focus on cessation of smoking and reduced exposure to in - house pollution are being provided.

Healthcare services including those for COPD are provided in public health facilitie district levels through the National Health Mission (NHM). U nder free drugs and diagnostics initiative of NHM, States/UTs are assisted for free of cost distribution of essential diagnostics for various diseases, including COPD. In addition, States/UTs are also assi procurement of equipment such as Spyrometer, Complete pulmonary Function Test Machine, Pulse Oxymeter etc. Tertiary health care facilities are provided through medical colleg other premium institutions, including AIIMS. The treatment in Government health facilit either free or subsidised.

Other preventive measures taken by the Government  include the following:

- Initiation  of  daily  Sentinel  surveillance  for  Acute  Respiratory  Illnesses  in  Eme Department of Central Government Hospitals.
- Providing  feedback  to  hospitals for  undertaking  appropriate  measures  for  managing respiratory illnesses in their hospitals.
- Issuing advisory on health effects of Air Pollution to Health department of all State
- Prepare  and  share  Information,  Education  and  Communication  (IEC)  posters  on  Air Pollution and its health effects with State Health Departments
- Air Pollution and Health effects campaign have also been run on Social media.
- The States have also been advi sed to initiate sentinel surveillance for Acute Respirato Illnesses in at least four to five major hospitals in the cities listed as highly poll the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).