COPD and asthma contribute to global burden of disease

COPD caused 3.2 million deaths worldwide in 2015 – up almost 12% from 1990 as population growth and ageing outweighed any downward trend in age-standardised death rates. The prevalence of the disease has also increased by 44.2% from 1990 to a sobering 174.5 million people. One of Australia’s nearest neighbours, Papua New Guinea, shares the ...