ELF participates in European Parliament event in support of Written Declaration

On Wednesday 23 November, 2016, ELF joined other key stakeholders in lung health at an event in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The event, hosted by Italian MEP, Damiano Zoffoli, officially launched the new Written Declaration on chronic respiratory diseases that has been launched through a collaboration between 10 different European organisations focused on lung health.

ELF, together with colleagues from the advocacy office of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Association (EFA), the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), travelled to Strasbourg to meet with MEPs and encourage them to support the Written Declaration.

Damiano Zoffoli MEP launched the Written Declaration with a speech on the importance of support for chronic lung conditions.

Joseph Bieth, a patient from France who lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) spoke about his experience of the condition, to show how it affects people’s daily lives.

Professor Christina Gratziou, Chair of the ERS Advocacy Council, also spoke about the need for greater prevention, earlier diagnosis, more rehabilitation programmes, and also more support for research so that cures can be found for conditions like COPD.

Lung function technicians from Strasbourg University Hospital also kindly joined us to offer lung function tests to MEPs and parliament staff, with many being keen to check the health of their lungs.

In order for the Written Declaration to pass, at least 376 MEPs from across the EU will need to sign it. Signatures will be collected until January 24, 2017.

Read more about the Written Declaration, including which MEPs have signed it, and how you can support it.

Picture: Professor Christina Gratziou, Emma Thompson (ELF), Joseph Bieth, Daniela Morghenti (EFA), Damiano Zoffoli MEP and Andrea Glahn (ENSP)