Asia PR News

KYOTO, May 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

Wonca Announces Release of International Primary Care Airways
Group (IPAG) Report Providing New Approaches to Facilitate
the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, COPD and
Allergic Rhinitis in Primary Care Settings

The first report of International Primary Care Airways Group (IPAG) has
been launched today during the Asia Pacific Regional Conference of the World
Organization of Family Doctors (Wonca). The "IPAG Handbook" has been developed
by a joint task force of primary care physicians and respiratory specialists to
improve global care of three leading chronic respiratory diseases — asthma,
COPD, and allergic rhinitis. New tools for diagnosis have been developed for
primary care settings and are provided with management recommendations based on
latest available evidence.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and allergic rhinitis
are the most common chronic respiratory diseases worldwide, but are
significantly under-diagnosed in primary care. Approximately half of COPD
patients are correctly diagnosed. COPD is the leading cause of smoking-related
disability, more than stroke and heart disease. Differential diagnosis between
COPD and asthma is of essential importance as the two diseases may require
different approaches to treatment.

Global guidelines on the three chronic diseases have been introduced in
recent years. These were the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) in 1997, the
Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and Allergic Rhinitis and
Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) in 2001. These guidelines, developed by panels of
leading experts, include the latest evidence available on diagnosis and
treatment and are now the most referenced resources of information on asthma,
COPD and allergic rhinitis, respectively. Their usability in primary care,
however, has been limited until now, as the guidelines were not specifically
designed for operational use in primary care settings.

The IPAG task force was established in 2002 to develop evidence-based
guidelines specifically designed for use in primary care settings, on the basis
of GINA, GOLD and ARIA. The IPAG expert panel included the world’s leading
primary care physicians as well as the specialist representatives of GINA, GOLD
and ARIA. Says Prof. T. Tsuda, Chairman of the Host Organizing Committee of the
Kyoto Conference: "Historically, diagnosis and treatment recommendations
written by specialists without input from primary care were not always
applicable in real life in a busy practice. IPAG is an important step in
growing cooperation between secondary and primary care towards improving
standards of care for chronic respiratory diseases."

The expert panel developed and validated a set of questionnaire tools to
help busy primary care physicians attribute the patient’s presenting symptoms
to either asthma, COPD or allergic rhinitis. A special questionnaire module has
been developed to support the differential diagnosis between COPD and asthma.
Management recommendations of IPAG are in conformity with GINA, GOLD and ARIA.

Wonca will take an active part in the dissemination and implementation of
IPAG through its 100 member organizations, which represent more than 150,000
family doctors around the world. In addition to supporting IPAG, Wonca will
also be one of the leaders of the Global Alliance against Respiratory Disease
(GARD) — a global initiative spearheaded by the World Health Organization
(WHO).

Note to Editor’s:

Additional information:

IPAG Handbook,
http://www.globalfamilydoctor.com

Global Initiative for Asthma,
http://www.ginasthma.org

Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease,
http://www.goldcopd.org

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma,
http://www.whiar.org

World Organization of Family Doctors,
http://www.globalfamilydoctor.com

SOURCE: International Primary Care Airways Group

CONTACT: Stephanie Martin of Shire Health International,
+44-207-108-6511,
Mobile: +44-787-614-2896,
stephanie.martin@shirehealthinternational.com