Healthy Lungs For Life visits Vienna

The Healthy Lungs for Life (HLfL) campaign is a global awareness campaign by ELF and the European Respiratory Society (ERS), which focuses on 5 key themes to improve lung health for all.

As part of the ERS Congress 2024, the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign visited Vienna, to raise awareness of lung health throughout the city. On 7 September, International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, the Healthy Lungs for Life opening ceremony was held in the Vienna Prater. The team were excited to be joined by Dr Maria Neira, Director of Environment and Climate Change for Health at the World Health Organisation and spread the word about the initiative. Maria spoke alongside Monika Gappa, ERS President; Ed Powell, ELF Youth Group Chair; and Professor Barbara Hoffman, Chair of the ERS Advocacy Council about the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign and why reducing air pollution is important for maintaining lung health.

As part of the activities in Vienna, the team offered 560 free lung tests to the public, over the 7 and 8 September. Lung function tests, also known as spirometry tests, are important for detecting lung diseases at an early stage. Medically trained volunteers were also on hand to provide tips on how participants can improve their lung health. This included information on how to reduce exposure to air pollution and avoid the harmful effects of smoking. These topics reflect just some of the themes of the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign and follow on from some of the research findings uncovered during the Congress.

This year, one theme of the ERS Congress was childhood lung health. On the 9 and 10 September, the Healthy Lungs for Life team visited local schools with nearly 200 children taking a lung function test. Interactive workshops were also offered as part of the campaign, with the aim of encouraging young children to make healthy decisions and maintain their lung health. Since many lung diseases can start in childhood, it is especially important to raise awareness of what this age group can do to keep their lungs healthy and reduce the burden of disease in the future.

Another key theme of the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign is #TakeTheActiveOption. This promotes the importance of physical activity for lung health. This year, the annual Take The Active Option event took place in the Vienna Prater on 10 September. Participants could complete either a 2.5km walk or 5km run around the area and raise money for the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign. This year, 500 people signed up for the event and joined us on our mission to improve lung health for all.

The Healthy Lungs for Life team want to thank the Clean Air Fund, who supported the activities in Vienna.

Read more about the Healthy Lungs For Life campaign here.