Heaptalk, Jakarta – PT Glaco Wellcome Indonesia (GSK Indonesia) and Indonesian Society of Respirology (ISR) conducted Peduli Paru OK campaign (translated: Keep Lungs Healthy campaign) in a series of celebrating World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day 2023 in conjunction with Car Free Day (CFD) at Bundaran HI, Jakarta (10/19).
The activity is the continuation of the collaboration between GSK and ISR, who performed the MoU signing before the representative of the Ministry of Health in May 2023. By adopting “Breathing is Life, Act Earlier” as the theme, GSK Indonesia and ISR hope the awareness of lung disease, particularly COPD, can increase. This agenda also is expected to educate people about how to maintain health to prevent diseases and create a better quality of life.
“For more than 50 years, GSK has become a global leader in respiratory disease, and our leadership continues to play a critical role in helping patients with respiratory diseases breathe better. It is an honor for us to be able to launch Peduli Paru OK campaign, together with ISR, which aims to increase public awareness of the importance of maintaining lung health for a better quality of life and personal productivity although the air quality is kept challenging,” stated President Director and General Manager of GSK Indonesia, Manis Munot.
Based on the Global Initiatives for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) report 2023, the main factors that generally cause COPD are cigarette smoke and air pollution, which is contributed by chemical particles, industrial pollution, and more. Recently, COPD has become the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing 90% death in low and middle-income countries.
In Indonesia, as cited from COPD’s Management and Diagnose Guidance issued by ISR in 2023, people with COPD are estimated to reach 4.8 million. The association mentioned that the number keeps growing along with the increase in the number of smokers and the decrease in air quality in Indonesia.
“We hope through this campaign we can inspire people who have a high risk of having COPD and support them in obtaining the latest information about the disease, thus, they can consult the doctor earlier to obtain the right handling,” conveyed Manish.