Five of the top 30 causes of death around the world are related to respiratory conditions. Asthma, COPD, lung cancer, acute lower-respiratory infections (pneumonia), and tuberculosis affect millions of lives every year, and these statistics are getting worse by the day.
Today, at the 70th World Health Alliance meeting in Switzerland, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies - FIRS has issued a call to ask the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) to create a World Lung Day, to draw attention to these and the many other respiratory issues people struggle with every day, to help make legislators and policymakers aware of the burden of lung disease, and to help fulfill the promise that everyone deserves to breathe easy in clean air. To accomplish that, FIRS is working to gather 100,000 signatures from anyone impacted by or interested in lung health, to present to the Director-General.
It's time to bring lung disease out of the shadows and into the light. Please take a moment to sign the petition today, and share it with your friend, families, and networks. You can also read the supporting documents (The Global Impact of Respiratory Disease report, which documents some of the statistics of lung health around the world, and the Charter for Lung Health, which is an international document calling for more patient-friendly policies and awareness) at the FIRS website. Thank you!