Abstract

COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, but its incidence and burden vary considerably, and outcomes are unequal, further compounded by inequity in access to diagnosis and treatment. COPD is a preventable condition, and risk factors for its development have been identified for many decades. Attempts to reduce exposure to key factors such as cigarette smoking have been successful in developed healthcare settings but are less likely to have an impact in areas of poverty where the need is greatest. Even in HICs, variation in outcomes and the impacts of poverty on COPD are stark. Late presentation and diagnosis, inadequacy in access to optimal treatment and failure to deliver the fundamentals of care track with societal and health inequalities and are affected by income, age, ethnicity and geography. Strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat COPD more effectively that address these important inequalities head on are now vital to address the growing burden that COPD drives globally.

Cite as: Fazleen A, Freeman A, Kong A, et al. Health inequality and COPD. In: Sinha IP, Lee A, Katikireddi SV, et al., eds. Inequalities in Respiratory Health (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2023; pp. 129–140 [https://doi.org/10.1183/2312508X.10004222].