Chronic Airways Disease in Poland

Abstract

The results we have presented show that CAD has not regressed as a health problem in the Polish population. Hospital discharge rates as well as death rates for chronic bronchitis have increased in recent years in both men and women. The working and living environment of the rural population as well as its access to health care requires still more attention to reduce the excess of mortality from CAD that is a particular problem in this subpopulation.

The prevalence of smoking and especially its increase among women is alarming. More serious policies of regulation and implementation of the government and appropriate social organizations are urgently needed to reduce the number of smokers and to lessen the toxic constituents of cigarettes. The new proposal of the Parliament act on education for abstinence from nicotine and counteraction against tobacco smoking is expected to bring about helpful changes in these matters.

The problem of air pollution is still far from being solved. Some improvement can be seen in the reduction of dust pollution, and now the emission of about 94% of produced dust is prevented. In case of gases, however, emission of only 11.3% is prevented, and stricter controls of gas emission should be an important task for the future.