Winners announced for 2008 Eloquium Award

The Boehringer Ingelheim COPD Communication Award

Ingelheim/Germany (World COPD Day) – The independent judging panel* of the Eloquium Award have today named three journalists as winners of the 2008 competition for excellence in reporting on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures estimate that 210 million people are currently living with COPD and more than 3 million people died from the disease in 20051 - more than breast cancer and diabetes combined.2

The Eloquium Award attracted 40 submissions from 12 countries and was segmented into three categories; consumer print/online, medical print/online and broadcast. The winners of the categories are:

* Consumer print/online: Cinthya Leite, Illness that takes the breath away (Brazil)
* Medical print/online: Claúdia Pinto, COPD special (Portugal)
* Broadcast: Janeth Hinostroza, Programme on COPD on World Non Smoking Day (Ecuador)


“In my clinical practice, I see so many people who would have sought earlier diagnosis and treatment if they had been aware they could have controlled their condition at an earlier stage. This kind of initiative is good because it rewards those who are instrumental in raising awareness about COPD to the general public” commented Professor Klaus Rabe, Chair of the Judging panel and Chairman of Pulmonology, Department of Pulmonology at the Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.

Commenting on the entries, Patricia Reaney of Reuters News Agency said, “The three winning entries described the devastating impact COPD has on the lives of the people who suffer from it, it`s link to smoking and the importance of recognising early symptoms and seeking treatment.” Eloquium is an international communication award that is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Since its launch in 2003, the Award has recognised and rewarded journalism that extends public awareness and understanding of COPD.

COPD is a progressive yet treatable disease that restricts patients’ lives over time and is a major cause of death and disability throughout the world. Symptoms include cough, sputum (mucus or phlegm) production, and breathlessness on exertion. Worsening of these symptoms often occurs and can restrict a patient’s ability to perform normal daily activities.3 Dyspnoea (breathlessness), the main symptom of COPD, is characteristically persistent and progressive and has a serious impact on patients’ quality of life.3 At its most severe, it even limits a patient from simple tasks such as washing and dressing.

Notes to Editors:
* The Judging Panel for the Boehringer Ingelheim COPD Communication Award Eloquium 2008 is:

* Professor Klaus Rabe
Chair of the Judging Panel and Chairman of Pulmonology, Department of Pulmonology at the Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
* Professor Christoph Fasel
Professor for Media & Communication Management at the Hochschule fuer Wirtschaft und Medien in Calw, Germany
* Jenny Hope
Medical Correspondent, Daily Mail, UK
* Susanna Palkonen
Executive Officer, European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations, Belgium
* Patricia Reaney
Chief Sub Editor, Lifestyle News, Reuters News Agency, USA


Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 135 affiliates in 47 countries and 39,800 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2007, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 10.9 billion Euro while spending one fifth of net sales in its largest business segment Prescription Medicines on research and development.

Related links: Website on the Boehringer Ingelheim COPD Communication Award Eloquium

References:
1 World Health Report. World Health Organization. Available from URL: http://www.who.int/respiratory/copd/en/
2 World Health Organization. World Health Report 2004. Statistical Annex. Annex table 2 and 3: 120-131.
3 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: http://www.goldcopd.com/Guidelineitem.asp?l1=2&l2=1&intId=989 Updated: 2007.