Making the case to highlight the burden of respiratory diseases in Europe

Extract Respiratory diseases continue to represent a major component of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Respiratory Coalition (IRC) was formed between the professional respiratory community (caregivers), people living with respiratory diseases, and industry. The aim of the IRC is to promote lung health and to improve respiratory care – through the vision that every country in Europe should have the tools to implement a national respiratory strategy [1]. Key priority areas were identified as: 1) prevention of respiratory diseases; 2) access to the right treatment at the right time; 3) reducing inequalities; and 4) prioritisation of research, data and insight to improve respiratory care [2].