ERS and ELF host lung function testing event for World COPD Day

On Thursday 22 November, we joined the European Respiratory Society to mark World COPD Day with a lung function testing event at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.

The event aimed to raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among policymakers by offering free lung tests. At the same time, a special Healthy Lungs for Life advertising campaign appeared in the Brussels metro stations to get people thinking about COPD and the importance of lung health.

ERS President Elect, Thierry Troosters took part in the event, and was joined by Victor Nevelsteen, Chair of COPD VZW, a Belgian patient organisation for people with COPD.

Vytenis Andriukaitis, the European Commissioner for Health, hosted the event and came for a lung test. Marianne Thyssen, the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, also showed her support by having a lung test and talking about the ways she could support people with COPD through policy.

ELF were on-hand to talk to people and give out information about COPD, spirometry testing and the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign. Hundreds of commission officials had their lungs tested and were very interested and engaged with the subject.

Read more about the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign.