Global epidemiology of chronic respiratory disease

Chronic respiratory diseases constitute one of the most pressing, yet underappreciated, global health burdens. Determining the burden of disease is fundamental to identify unmet needs at the population level, and reduce individual suffering through improved diagnosis, access to health care, and preventative strategies. Driven by complex socio-environmental factors, respiratory diseases disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations, and the growing burden of disease is being driven by tobacco smoking, air pollution, and occupational hazards. This Lancet Series focuses on the global epidemiology of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease, and a Policy Review on tobacco, the main, avoidable risk factor of lung disease, completes the Series.