Raising awareness of pulmonary hypertension
05th May 2020
World PH Day
This year, World Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Day 2020 raises awareness of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a severe condition affecting the lungs and heart.
Every year on May 5, World PH Day brings global attention to 'the importance of improving the quality of life and raising the life expectancy of more than 25 million people living with PH worldwide'.
Early diagnosis is important in decreasing premature PH-related deaths as well as promoting access to health care and treatments that increase quality of life and raise life expectancy.
What is Pulmonary Hypertension?
Elevated blood pressure in the lung artery system is a condition known as pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary, for lung and hypertension, for high blood pressure) (PH), which is an important non-communicable cardiopulmonary disease that causes heart failure, hospitalisation and shortened lifespan - PVRI.
There are risk factors that can make some people more likely to get PH, but anyone can get PH. It affects children and adults, men and women and people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. PH can exist alone or be associated with other conditions such as connective tissue disorders (scleroderma, lupus and others), heart disease, HIV and COPD.
An estimated 20 million people, mostly in Africa and Asia, develop a severe form of PH from schistosomiasis, a common parasitic disease. Schistosomiasis-related PH is the most common cause of PH in the developing world. Various other disorders can cause PH in which PH is secondary to other diseases, including blood disorders, systemic disorders with lung involvement and metabolic disorders.
Raising awareness of PH
Support from individuals and organisations around the world including the PH community is key to protecting the health of our lungs and those living with PH worldwide particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic presents many unique challenges when caring for patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH).
Share your PH day activities and messaging on social media via the hashtag #WorldPHDay2020 and tag along @worldphday
You can learn more about PH and World PH Day 2020 at https://worldphday.org/