SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The Emirates Thoracic Society lit up the Burj Khalifa at 8pm on Wednesday to mark World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day.
This initiative was part of a broader campaign to raise awareness about COPD and highlighted the importance of early detection and proactive management of this chronic respiratory condition.
The event featured messages projected on the world's tallest man-made structure, sparking discussions on COPD prevention and management.
The Emirates Thoracic Society organised pre-event workshops and media engagements to educate the public on COPD risks, lifestyle choices and treatment options in the UAE.
Speaking to Aletihad on the sidelines of the event, Prof. Bassam Mahboub, Head of the Respiratory Department at Rashid Hospital and Vice President of the Emirates Thoracic Society, discussed the Burj Khalifa's role in raising COPD awareness.
He said: "The Burj Khalifa, as the tallest and most iconic structure in the UAE and the world, serves as a powerful symbol of innovation, prominence and global connectivity. Its use in raising awareness for COPD is strategic. The visibility of the Burj Khalifa, illuminated in support of a health cause, attracts both local and international attention, creating a large platform to educate the public about the importance of COPD prevention and early diagnosis."
Prof. Mahboub explained the initiative's potential to improve public health by promoting preventive measures, changing respiratory disease perceptions, encouraging lifestyle changes, and accentuating early COPD management.
"Effective management includes smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation, medication adherence and lifestyle adjustments," he said.
He discussed the benefits of lifestyle changes in COPD prevention and management, which include improved lung function and overall well-being.
He further stressed the importance of regular exercise, a balanced diet, and a smoke-free environment in slowing disease progression.
"To prioritise COPD awareness in healthcare, we should adopt a multi-pronged approach to education, prevention and early diagnosis," Prof. Mahboub added.
Also speaking to Aletihad, Prof. Ashraf Hasan Humaidan Alzaabi, Consultant Pulmonology at Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, President of the Emirates Thoracic Society, Professor of medicine at the College of medicine and health sciences at UAE university, said: "We aim to raise awareness about COPD by using the Burj Khalifa as a platform to highlight the disease, encouraging the public to seek testing for themselves or others who might benefit."
He said the initiative aims to address the under-diagnosis of COPD, particularly among smokers, many of whom are unaware they have the condition.
Often, patients with COPD conditions are misdiagnosed with viral flu due to lack of smoking history checks.
The goal is to raise awareness, especially among smokers, by encouraging early diagnosis and treatment.
Prof. Alzaabi outlined the society's public awareness campaigns, as well as its collaborations with the Emirates Medical Association, including the Emirates Thoracic Society, the Emirates Cardiac Society, emergency medicine doctors, family medicine, and internal medicine.
COPD is a lung condition primarily caused by smoking, affecting 200 million people globally, compared to 300 million suffering from asthma. Despite being less common than asthma, it is a significant global health concern.
"We are worried about COPD because it is caused by smoking in 70-80% of cases, but 20-30% of people who develop it never smoked," said Prof. Alzaabi.
Other risk factors include untreated childhood asthma and inadequate lung development because of early childhood lung infection, premature birth and intrauterine infection during pregnancy.
He encouraged individuals, especially smokers over the age of 40, to get screened if they show symptoms like shortness of breath or a persistent cough with sputum.
"The most important treatment for COPD is to stop the trigger, which is smoking. After smoking cessation, patients are typically given inhalers to manage their lung condition," added Prof. Alzaabi.