Conference: "COPD: a social disease: inappropriateness and pharmaco-economics. The role of the specialist: present and future": This report is based on the conference held in Venice, Italy, April 21-22, 2010, and organized by AIMAR within the ‘Year of the Lung 2010’ promoted worldwide by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies and within Europe by the European Respiratory Society. AIMAR is, since 2005, a partner of the Global Alliance against chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This report is based on the conference held in Venice, Italy, April 21-22, 2010, and organized by AIMAR within the ‘Year of the Lung 2010’ promoted worldwide by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies and within Europe by the European Respiratory Society. AIMAR is, since 2005, a partner of the Global Alliance against chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Abstract

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), with particular regard to COPD, constitute an epidemic in the full sense of the term, though they still go underdiag- nosed and undertreated. COPD is one of the major health problems worldwide, negatively affecting patients and their families, the employment sector, the institutional network and, hence, society as a whole. Its epidemiological, clinical, social and socio-economic impact is on the rise and there are no signs of any change to this trend.

Edited by Claudio F. Donner