EU projects at the ERS Congress

The European Respiratory Society’s annual Congress (ERS Congress) took place in Barcelona, Spain, in September 2026. During the Congress, the European Lung Foundation held and contributed to meetings and sessions related to some of its EU-funded projects. 

Here is a round-up of news from this year’s event: 

Joint Action on Chronic Respiratory Diseases (JARED) aims to improve the prevention, early detection and management of chronic respiratory diseases across Europe. JARED held a consortium meeting on 8 September where project partners shared updates on progress and key achievements. The meeting also highlighted links with other EU-funded initiatives working to improve lung health: 

• RESPIRE (Planetary Breathing in Asphyxiating Times) explores how environmental change affects breathing across humans, animals and ecosystems. 

• LungHealth4Life (LH4L) promotes lung health in children through school-based lung function testing and education. 

• JA-SAFE (Joint Action on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention including Smoke and Aerosol Free Environments) aims to reduce tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke across Europe, supporting the goal of a tobacco-free generation. 

These projects offer opportunities to share knowledge, exchange experiences and strengthen their collective impact on lung health.  

LungHealth4Life held its annual consortium meeting on 7 September with partners and stakeholders joining both in person and online. As the project enters its final year, partners discussed the final stages of the school-based lung health interventions, which aim to improve lung health awareness and encourage healthy behaviours among children through spirometry testing and education. They also reviewed the data collected from spirometry testing and educational sessions in schools in Hungary, Poland and Portugal, and discussion plans for the year ahead. 

The project was also featured in two Wednesday sessions. “Inspiring youth to engage in healthy behaviors and the future of their lung health” focused on empowering young people to take an active role in their lung health and advocate for healthier environments. “New frontiers in respiratory health: the present and future of early detection?” explored the role of lung health checks, screening and early detection in improving lung health outcomes. 

SOLACE hosted a studio session, “From SOLACE to ELCSA: turning European lung cancer screening into sustainable practice”, on 8 September. The session explored lessons learned from the SOLACE pilot programmes, with speakers discussing the factors that support the successful implementation of national lung cancer screening programmes and how these can be translated into practical recommendations. The session also introduced the European Lung Cancer Screening Alliance (ELCSA). The project was also included in two poster sessions. 

FRESHAIR4Life, which aims to reduce tobacco smoke and air pollution exposure among adolescents in disadvantaged communities, featured in the Primary and Integrated Respiratory Care forum on 5 September, with a presentation on translating evidence into practice through patient co-design to prevent respiratory disease. On 6 September, experiences from the project also contributed to a mini-symposium on patient and public involvement, with a presentation on building respiratory partnerships in low- and middle-income countries. On 8 September, the project was featured in presentations on co-creating and adapting prevention interventions across diverse countries and on engaging young people in tailoring prevention packages to local needs. 

All the project names, logos and QR codes were displayed in the World Village, next to the European Lung Foundation’s information stand, making them easily visible and allowing visitors to explore the projects directly from their phones. 

Sessions and abstracts 

Studio session no.: 94817 “From SOLACE to ELCSA: turning European lung cancer screening into sustainable practice” at 12:30–13:15 CEST on 8 September 2026. 

Presentation no.: 200 “From evidence to practice: patient co-design in preventing respiratory disease” presented in forum “Primary and integrated respiratory care: part 2” at 11:15 – 12:45 CETS on 5 September 2026. 

Presentation no.: 1249 “Building respiratory partnership in low- and middle-income countries” presented in mini-symposium “Overcoming challenges in patient and public involvement in developing healthcare interventions” at 10:15–11:45 on 6 September 2026. 

Abstract no.: 125162 “A co-creation approach to selecting and adapting adolescent tobacco and air-pollution interventions and strategies for implementation in diverse countries: insights from FRESHAIR4Life”, presented in oral presentation “Together we can make a difference: inspiring examples of patient and professional partnership” at 15:45–17:00 CEST on 8 September 2026. 

Abstract no.: 129600 “Can adolescents in disadvantaged populations be engaged in tailoring prevention packages that reduce youth tobacco and air pollution exposure? Implementation insights from FRESHAIR4Life”, presented in oral presentation “Together we can make a difference: inspiring examples of patient and professional partnership”, 15:45–17:00 CEST on 8 September 2026. 

Wednesday special session no.: 94807 “Inspiring youth to engage in healthy behaviors and the future of their lung health” at 09:00–10:30 CEST on 9 September 2026.  

Wednesday special session no.: 94810 “New frontiers in respiratory health: the present and future of early detection?” at 11:00–12:30 CEST on 9 September 2026.