Ireland has one of the highest deaths rates from lung disease in western Europe and one in seven people here currently has an undiagnosed lung condition, the Irish Lung Health Alliance has warned.

It has just launched a new awareness campaign aimed at promoting good lung health in this country.

The campaign follows the publication of a European report on lung health, which found that Ireland has the third highest death rate from lung disease in Europe and has a particularly high prevalence of conditions such as asthma and cystic fibrosis.

The country also has high hospital admission rates for respiratory infections and high death rates for conditions such as pneumonia and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

However despite this, the number of respiratory physicians here lags well behind that of the rest of Europe. In fact, Ireland has the lowest number of trainee respiratory physicians and respiratory physicians to treat adults, at 1.3 doctors per 100,000 of the population. The average in the rest of Europe is 4.4 doctors per 100,000.

"Clearly the state of Ireland's lung health leaves much room for improvement. Our high prevalence, death and hospital admission rates, coupled with high levels of undiagnosed lung disease can be attributed to a number of factors, but awareness of how to prevent and manage lung disease and identify early warning signs is key," commented respiratory consultant, Dr Edward McKone, who is president of the Irish Thoracic Society.

The campaign emphasises the importance of regular exercise. According to Dr McKone, people often associate exercise with heart health, preventing diabetes and losing weight, however it is also essential for the lungs, ‘whether you are healthy or have a lung condition'.

As part of the campaign, a series of public information lectures are being held over the next week in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Sligo and Galway. The first lecture takes place in Dublin's Mansion House on November 5 at 6.30pm and a live webcast of this event will be broadcast on www.lunghealth.ie

While the lectures are free of charge, places are limited so booking is essential. To book a place, you can register online also at www.lunghealth.ie

The Irish Lung Health Alliance is made up of a number of charities and organisations, including the Irish Thoracic Society, the Asthma Society of Ireland, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and ASH Ireland.