International Respiratory Coalition

On 26 June 2023, a new International Respiratory Coalition (IRC) was launched in Lisbon, Portugal and attended by BTS President Professor Onn Min Kon on behalf of the UK. The Coalition, led by the European Respiratory Society (ERS), brings together healthcare professionals, patients and industry partners across Europe.

The IRC is calling on policymakers in WHO European region countries to create national strategies to transform post-pandemic respiratory care and reduce mortality from respiratory diseases by a third globally by 2030.

The Taskforce for Lung Health (which is supported by Asthma + Lung UK, and of which BTS is a member) will be taking forward the work of the IRC in the UK, calling on the Government to take action on prevention, develop new models of care, reduce health inequalities, and prioritise research, data and insight.

The IRC website can be accessed here.

There is also a helpful page on Lung Facts, which provides data on the current burden of respiratory illnesses.