The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) works with health care professionals and public health officials around the world to raise awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and to improve prevention and treatment of this lung disease.

Through the development of evidence-based guidelines for COPD management, and events such as the annual celebration of World COPD Day, GOLD is working to improve the lives of people with COPD in every corner of the globe.

Who Are We?

GOLD was launched in 1997 in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA, and the World Health Organization.

GOLD’s program is determined and its guidelines for COPD care are shaped by committees made up of leading experts from around the world.

Read more about who is involved with GOLD Committees.

Read more about the GOLD Program.

Download GOLD Bylaws (PDF)

GOLD Objectives

• Recommend effective COPD management and prevention strategies for use in all countries.
• Increase awareness of the medical community, public health officials and the general public that COPD is a public health problem.
• Decrease morbidity and mortality from COPD through implementation and evaluation of effective programs for diagnosis and management.
• Promote study into reasons for increasing prevalence of COPD including relationship with environment.
• Implement effective programs to prevent COPD.