A new paper published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine warns that lung disease is critically underfunded and under-recognised, despite being one of the world’s leading causes of death and disability.
The paper, Breathing Barriers: Bridging Lung Health, Research and Awareness Gaps, argues that lung conditions like asthma, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis are stuck in a cycle of low awareness, poor funding and outdated ideas. Together, these factors prevent progress in tackling the global burden of lung disease.
The burden of lung diseases:
These challenges continue even though lung diseases often report worse death rates, years lived with disability and number of cases, than other major diseases, including diabetes.
To tackle these issues, the authors suggest 3 key actions aimed at doctors, decision-makers and the public:
Lung health is often overshadowed in public debate due to stigma and outdated assumptions. Many people still believe that lung disease is related to smoking history or personal choices.
In reality, the burden of lung disease is increasingly driven by air pollution, occupational dangers and non-smoking-related conditions. Yet these issues receive limited media attention, fewer national campaigns and minimal political engagement.
It is important to change how lung health is discussed, remove the stigma and ensure the lungs become a part of mainstream conversation. Lung health needs more support and investment, better policies and improved public education and understanding.
Ongoing efforts, such as public campaigns and professional engagement, are essential to promote awareness and drive meaningful change in research priorities and healthcare policy.
Read the full paper: Breathing barriers: bridging lung health, research, and awareness
We encourage patient organisations and the ELF community to share this important message within your networks. Raising awareness of lung health challenges can help change public attitudes and influence decision-makers. Together, we can help reframe the conversation about lung health and improve outcomes for all those affected.