The Lung Association Receives $25,000 Gift in Support of COPD

The Lung Association Receives $25,000 Gift in Support of COPD

Saskatoon, June 14, 2004 -The Lung Association of Saskatchewan is pleased to announce that GlaxoSmithKline has joined as a funding partner of its COPD Professorship at the University of Saskatchewan. The Professorship, with a value of $50,000 per year, began in 2001 and is currently held by Dr. Darcy Marciniuk, Division of Respiratory Medicine. The Lung Association and GlaxoSmithKline will each contribute $25,000 to the professorship for 2004-05.

Saskatchewan is incredibly fortunate to have someone of Dr. Marciniuk's calibre working to help people with COPD, said Robert Ferguson of Fort Qu'Appelle, Chair of the Volunteer Board of The Lung Association. Dr. Marciniuk is part of the national expert committee that develops Canada's guidelines for COPD treatment. He is also conducting COPD research that is recognised nationally and internationally.

COPD is a silent and progressive lung disease that is quickly becoming the third leading cause of death in Saskatchewan. It refers to a group of diseases that are characterized by airflow limitation in the airways of the lungs. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are included in COPD, which slowly takes people's breath away and eventually restricts the ability to perform normal daily activities. Smoking is the most common cause of COPD and is responsible for 80 “ 90 per cent of cases.

COPD has no cure, however symptoms can be improved with treatment and therapy. Canadian guidelines for COPD management include: smoking cessation, medications to relieve shortness of breath symptoms, pulmonary rehabilitation programs to improve health and quality of life, influenza and pneumonia vaccines and, in some cases, home oxygen therapy.

The COPD Professorship has permitted me to focus on COPD in a manner that wouldn't otherwise be possible, said Dr. Darcy Marciniuk. The support of The Lung Association has been a key factor in the development of respiratory health programs in Saskatchewan. I would also like to thank GlaxoSmithKline for the new funding that they are providing.

In addition to funding COPD research and the COPD Professorship at the University of Saskatchewan, The Lung Association of Saskatchewan provides its BreathWorks program to help people manage COPD. The program consists of a help line staffed by COPD educators (1-866-717-COPD), a 41-page BreathWorks Plan on personal COPD management, fact sheets on various elements of COPD management and a comprehensive website “ visit www.sk.lung.ca and click on COPD.

We are very grateful for the significant contribution by GlaxoSmithKline to the COPD Professorship, said Dr. Brian Graham, President and CEO of the Lung Association. COPD is one of our priority areas. There are thousands of Saskatchewan people with COPD that need our help.

The Lung Association of Saskatchewan is a member of the Canadian Lung Association, which has been working for lung health for 104 years. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that relies on donations from the public to fund its activities. You will find The Lung Association, the premier source for respiratory health initiatives in the province, active in your community conducting programs on asthma, COPD, sleep apnea and reduction of tobacco use, providing training for health professionals, delivering health education in schools, facilitating patient support groups and lobbying for clean air.

When you can't breathe, nothing else matters.

- 30 -

 

For more information, contact:

 

Brian Graham, President and CEO

(306) 343-9511 or

1-888-566-LUNG (5864)

 

Jan Haffner, Vice President “ Health Initiatives

(306) 343-9511 or

1-888-566-LUNG (5864)