Chronic respiratory diseases in developing countries: the burden and strategies for prevention and management

In developing countries, chronic respiratory diseases represent a challenge to public health because of their frequency, severity, projected trends and economic impact. This paper presents a guideline for health care planners who are faced with a dramatic increase in tobacco use and need to establish priorities for the allocation of limited resources. Recommendations provided for alleviating the burden of chronic respiratory diseases included adapting guidelines to local contexts and ensuring their distribution, upgrading equipment at district level, purchasing high-quality drugs at low prices, routine training and supervision of health services personnel in addition to regular monitoring of performance.