An alliance of Chinese doctors and lung specialists has been set up to fight chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a deadly illness, ahead of the fifth "World COPD Day" on Nov. 16.

The Guangzhou-based alliance, started by the Chinese Medical Association (CMA) and the German Boehringer Ingelheim Group, brings together respiratory specialists from across the country. It aims to raise public awareness, share clinical experience and advise policymakers about issues such as smoking and air pollution.

The COPD is a group of chronic lung diseases. As the disease worsens, breathing becomes more difficult, making it hard to carry out daily activities. A COPD exacerbation can be mild to life-threatening.

Although COPD can be controlled, it cannot be cured, experts said.

According to the World Heath Organization, COPD and HIV/AIDS rank fourth in the list of deadly world diseases after cardiopathy, cerebrovascular diseases and acute lung infection.

Zhong Nanshan, director of the CMA and one of the organizers of the alliance, said COPD poses a serious challenge to the medical field.

China has more than 38 million COPD sufferers. About 8.2 percent of Chinese above 40 are COPD victims. About 100,000 people die of the disease each year in China.

Experts said COPD in its early stages is often neglected because shortness of breath is often thought to be merely a sign of old age.

Source: Xinhua