Last week, the ELF team travelled to Hannover, Germany, for the 9th World Bronchiectasis Conference (WBC 2026), where experts, patients and organisations gathered to share the latest developments in bronchiectasis care and celebrate the launch of ELF Connect.
Organised by EMBARC (The European Bronchiectasis Registry), the conference is led by a team of experts in the field and aims to share cutting-edge updates on topics such as NTM management, diagnostic tools, AI-enabled tools and findings from clinical trials. For the first time, a dedicated track explored the psychosocial impact of bronchiectasis, ensuring the patient voice remains central to research and care design.
Patients and professionals connecting across Europe
ELF was proud to participate in the Association and Patient Programme, held in parallel with the scientific conference. The ELF stand also provided a space for patients, carers and organisations from across Europe to connect, share experiences and access ELF’s latest resources.
Members of the ELF Bronchiectasis Patient Advisory Group (PAG) chaired sessions, contributed to discussions and attended conference sessions both in person and virtually. Their insights, shared with bronchiectasis experts from across the globe, help ensure healthcare reflects the real-world needs of those living with bronchiectasis.
Launch of ELF Connect
WBC 2026 also saw the launch of ELF Connect, a new multilingual digital platform dedicated to bronchiectasis. Designed in collaboration with patients and clinicians across Europe, ELF Connect provides a central hub for reliable information, self-management resources and community support. It is free to access and available in multiple languages. Find out more about ELF Connect.
Continuing the conversation on World Bronchiectasis Day
ELF is committed to strengthening collaboration between patients and professionals and ensuring patient voices help shape healthcare. As part of World Bronchiectasis Day activities, a Question Time webinar will take place on Tuesday 1 July at 12:00 BST/13:00 CEST.
Co-developed with EMBARC and the ELF Bronchiectasis Patient Advisory Group, this special session focuses on airway clearance techniques and their role in daily bronchiectasis management. The webinar is free, held in English with live captions in 60+ languages. Register here.
World Bronchiectasis Day, 1 July 2026, aims to raise global awareness of bronchiectasis and help those with the disease, and others yet to be diagnosed, through education, advocacy and a global conversation focused on reducing the burden of bronchiectasis for patients and their families worldwide. To learn more about bronchiectasis and to support annual World Bronchiectasis Day, visit www.bronchandntm.org.
Visit the ELF Bronchiectasis information hub to access a range of materials and resources: https://europeanlung.org/en/information-hub/lung-conditions/bronchiectasis/.
