Epidemiology of Other Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), the burden of chronic respiratory diseases accounts for 7% of worldwide mortality. About 280 million people have moderate-severe COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), 400 million people have Allergic Rhinitis (AR) and more than 100 million people suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSA). Preventable chronic respiratory diseases are increasing in prevalence, particularly among children and elderly people; the target of reducing deaths from chronic diseases by 2% annually, suggested by the WHO Department of chronic diseases and health promotion, would prevent 36 million deaths by 2015.