Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of chronic morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease was created to increase awareness of COPD among health professionals, public health authorities, and the general public, and to improve prevention and management through a concerted worldwide effort. The Initiative prepares scientific reports on COPD, encourages dissemination and adoption of the reports, and promotes international collaboration on COPD research.

While COPD has been recognized for many years, public health officials are concerned about continuing increases in its prevalence and mortality, which are due in large part to the increasing use of tobacco products worldwide and the changing age structure of populations in developing countries. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease offers a framework for management of COPD that can be adapted to local health care systems and resources. Educational tools, such as laminated cards or computer-based learning programs, can be prepared that are tailored to these systems and resources.

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This Pocket Guide has been developed from the Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of COPD (2006). Technical discussions of COPD and COPD management, evidence levels, and specific citations from the scientific literature are included in that source document.