PR and Med Ed news in brief

Women at great risk

The British Lung Foundation has warned that rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are soaring. COPD could soon be the fourth biggest killer of women yet just 1 per cent of 1,200 women surveyed said that the disease was their main health worry.

Women fear breast cancer more than other diseases and 27 per cent thought it, not heart disease, killed most women in the UK. Smokers have slightly more awareness of COPD: their habit means that they are at 13-times greater risk of developing the condition.

The charity has been working on raising awareness of COPD and last month launched a practical guide for GPs, providing on managing COPD.

New campaign for von Willenbrand's disease

The Haemophilia Society is getting set to launch a campaign aimed at boosting awareness of little known condition, von Willebrand's disease. The initiative `Women Bleed Too' will focus on how bleeding disorders, although traditionally associated with men, also affect many women. The campaign, which is being promoted by Red Door Communications, is one of the most heavily funded specific awareness campaigns to be backed by the society in recent years. It will be launched in January 2006.

Von Willebrand's disease is mostly hereditary and inhibits normal clotting processes leading to prolonged bleeding. It affects around one in 100 women in the UK and is often discovered after surgery or major accident. The campaign will target consumer media and women of all ages, and will highlight treatments for the condition.