Brussels - European level patient groups and healthcare professionals in respiratory health have launched Breathe Vision 2030: a collective initiative that advocates for better prevention, care, and patient participation in respiratory health through the platform European Lung Health Group.
The group of European-level NGOs together represent 179 member associations across 34 European countries, including 9 from non-EU states. Through this initiative, the European Lung Health Group aims to increase awareness and prevention for respiratory health by 2030, improve lung health care and research, and tackle COVID-19 in Europe.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has brought to the forefront respiratory health considerations. A respiratory infection, COVID-19 hits the lungs hard and is expected to leave patients with long-term lung impacts after recovering from the disease. However, it also highlights the need to use this moment to leverage help in addressing challenges in respiratory diseases, whether chronic or infectious lung diseases.
Under Breathe Vision for 2030, the organisations together give a voice to half a million lung patients and 40,000 health professionals to create real policy making influence while also supporting the general awareness and understanding of respiratory disease in society.
Breathe Vision 2030 was created in response to an online survey and workshops held in spring 2020 to identify ways to take forward impactful advocacy for lung health in Europe. Through open discussions, the ideas, aims, and priorities were set out to create a joint vision for respiratory health in Europe based on what people expect and hope to see by 2030.
Breathe Vision for 2030 was initiated by the following organisations:
- Alpha-1 Belgium
- Cystic Fibrosis Europe (CF-E)
- European Federation of Allergies and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA)
- European Lung Foundation (ELF)
- European Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Federation (EU-IPFF)
- European Respiratory Society (ERS)
- Lung Cancer Europe (LuCE)
- Pulmonary Hypertension Association Europe (PHA-E)
- Tuberculosis Coalition Europe (TBEC)
