The World Health Assembly is preparing to adopt a landmark resolution urging countries to prioritise an integrated approach to lung health, addressing both infectious and non-communicable respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, asthma, COPD and lung cancer. The resolution calls for unified national policies that address all lung diseases, stronger primary healthcare systems, and concrete action on environmental and social risk factors. In response, the European Lung Health Group has sent an Open Letter urging the EU to support and co-sponsor the resolution.
The World Health Assembly (WHA) has taken a decisive step towards tackling the global burden of respiratory diseases. In a resolution adopted by its Executive Board and tabled for adoption at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly, WHA is calling on countries worldwide to prioritise an integrated approach to lung health, a long-awaited and crucial development for people living with respiratory diseases.
Why this resolution matters
Lung diseases caused over 18 million deaths globally in 2021 alone. This includes both infectious diseases such as COVID-19, tuberculosis (TB), pneumonia, influenza and non-communicable conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. These diseases are not isolated, and neither should our response be. Until now, lung health has been spread thinly across fragmented policies and disconnected public health responses. This WHA draft resolution breaks that trend by calling for:
- National policies that treat lung health holistically, integrating both communicable and chronic conditions.
- Primary healthcare systems that provide prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care for all lung diseases.
- Concrete action on social, environmental, and occupational drivers like air pollution, second-hand smoke, poor ventilation, and unsafe work environments.
- Efforts to dismantle stigma around diseases such as TB, lung cancer, and COPD that delay diagnosis and treatment.
- Investments in protecting future generations, including tobacco and vaping control, access to medicines, and clean air initiatives.
A policy shift with real-world impact
This resolution introduces a framework for how nations should prioritise lung health. It includes a global action plan to track progress, promote equitable access to care, train healthcare workers, and include patients and caregivers in shaping policies. But a resolution is only the beginning. To move from ambition to action, countries need to adopt, fund, and enforce these measures at the national level.
Call to action from the European Lung Health Group
As the European Lung Health Group (ELHG), an informal coalition of nine European-level patient and healthcare professional organizations, representing 179 member associations across 34 countries, we see this WHA resolution as a pivotal moment for respiratory care.
We have released an Open Letter to the EU Permanent Delegation to the World Health Assembly, urging EU policymakers to support and co-sponsor the draft resolution on 'Promoting and prioritising an integrated lung health approach'. The resolution addresses chronic, infectious, and rare respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, TB, pneumonia, influenza, and more. It prioritises patient safety, prevention, early detection, and long-term care, with a strong focus on equitable access to treatment and diagnosis.
In the Open Letter, we urge the EU to:
- Support the global action plan for addressing both communicable and non-communicable respiratory diseases.
- Advocate for dedicated health investments to expand expertise and training for primary healthcare workers.
- Promote equitable access to quality diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for respiratory diseases.
Support the open letter for integrated lung health
As the EU continues its commitment to improving respiratory and lung health, we call on policymakers, health professionals, and citizens to endorse our open letter and join the movement for an integrated approach to lung health at the World Health Assembly.
Resources
Support message for social media:
I support the Open Letter of the European Lung Health Group urging EU Member States to endorse the World Health Assembly resolution on lung health.
The resolution calls for an integrated approach to respiratory health across infectious, chronic, and rare diseases like COVID-19, asthma, COPD, and lung cancer.
Lung health is essential to people’s well-being, economic productivity, and resilience — yet it remains under-prioritised in many national health strategies. Now is the time to change that, and to do it globally.
Let’s #KeepBreathing with policies that protect lungs, prevent disease, and prioritise people.
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