Research into incurable lung condition 'severely underfunded' warns charity

Credit: PA images

A charity has announced it's to invest a quarter of its research budget into an incurable lung condition.

The British Lung Foundation says research into the lung condition, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is 'severely unfunded'.

Recent statistics from the charity shows people in Wales are officially three times more likely to die of IPF than in a road accident.

It also revealed that 450 new people a year in Wales are diagnosed with IPF.

Research into the condition has been described as 'severely underfunded' Credit: PA images

This week marks the start of IPF Week, a worldwide week of awareness raising for the condition.

Though most people have never heard of it, IPF claimed 2,045 lives in Wales between 2008-2012.

The condition has no known cause, no cure, and the average life expectancy after diagnosis is just three short years.

IPF causes progressive scarring of the lungs, making it increasingly difficult for a person to breathe.

The British Lung Foundation has now taken the decision to put £300,000 into IPF research over the next 12-18 months.