Chronic respiratory disease burden rises in the WHO Western Pacific Region despite falling age-standardized mortality

A new analysis in Med Research uses the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study to assess chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) across 37 countries and territories in the WHO Western Pacific Region from 1990 to 2023. The study examined incidence, prevalence, deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-standardized rates, disease subtypes and selected modifiable risk factors.

By 2023, CRDs accounted for 22.0 million incident cases, 155.9 million prevalent cases, 1.4 million deaths and 29.9 million DALYs in the region. Compared with 1990, absolute numbers increased across all major indicators, largely reflecting population growth and aging. At the same time, age-standardized mortality and DALY rates declined substantially, with estimated annual percentage changes of -2.67% and -2.31%, respectively.

The burden was concentrated among older adults and remained higher in males. COPD dominated the disease composition, accounting for 75.3% of CRD-related DALYs in 2023. Among the selected risk factors, tobacco smoking and air pollution were the leading modifiable contributors, followed by occupational exposure.

Illustrative comparisons of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and Australia showed marked heterogeneity within the region. The findings suggest that respiratory-health strategies in the Western Pacific Region should combine sustained tobacco control, cleaner air, stronger occupational protection, earlier detection and long-term management of chronic respiratory conditions.

Because the analysis relies on GBD modelled estimates, country-level differences in diagnostic access, data completeness and cause-of-death coding should be considered when interpreting cross-country comparisons.