WHY LUNG HEALTH IS CRITICAL WOMEN'S ISSUE
Lung disease is a leading cause of death among women
- Breath is life, but the central importance of lung health is under-recognised compared to other key health indicators for women, such as blood pressure and weight.
- 16.2% of all deaths among women worldwide are attributable to lung diseases, including respiratory infections (7.4%); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (5.1%); tuberculosis (1.8%); trachea, bronchus and lung cancer (1.4%); and asthma (.5%).
- In low-income countries, lower respiratory infections, including pneumonia, are the leading single cause of death among women (11.4%).
- LRIs, COPD, and cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung account for 13.5% of women's deaths in middle-income countries and 11% in high-income countries.
The leading risk factor is tobacco use – and it's on the rise among women
Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for lung disease, and it kills 1.5 million women each year.
- The countries with the highest percentage of female deaths attributed to smoking are the USA (23%), Denmark (21%) Canada, the UK and Iceland (20%), Hungary, Mongolia and Myanmar (18%); New Zealand (16%); Republic of Korea and Malaysia (15%).
- 200 million women now smoke (20% of the total number of smokers).
- A WHO smoking trends survey found that in about 75 of the 151 countries surveyed, the number of boys and girls who smoked were now equal.
Indoor air pollution from using solid fuels for heating and cooking is another major risk factor
- Nearly 3 billion people worldwide, mostly in low-income countries, rely on solid fuel for cooking, light and heating.
- An estimated 2 million deaths are caused by this indoor air pollution; the majority are women, since they do the cooking and other household maintenance. Their babies and young children are also affected.
- In women, research shows a strong association between indoor air pollution and COPD and between exposure to coal smoke and lung cancer.