BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A respiratory medicine institute was set up under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China's top medical research institution, in Beijing Sunday.

The new institute is expected to improve the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases in China by conducting research on basic theories, translational medicine and latest trends within the discipline.

It will also be responsible for training more respiratory medicine personnel.

"With factors such as the aging population and the large number of smokers, respiratory diseases could grow to become a greater threat to public health and the prevention and treatment of such diseases will become harder," said Wu Peixin, an official with the National Health Commission, at the inauguration ceremony.

According to the World Health Organization, about 1 billion people around the world suffer from chronic respiratory diseases.