ELF and the European Respiratory Society are calling on respiratory organisations across Europe to hold Health Lungs for Life activities during the first-ever EU Screening Week, starting from 28 September and running until 4 October, helping raise awareness of lung health and the importance of prevention and early detection.
The European Commission is launching EU Screening Week from 28 September to 4 October 2026, uniting organisations behind a common goal to enable more people to know their health numbers and take a proactive approach to their health.
Coinciding with World Heart Day on 29 September, the new initiative aims to raise awareness of prevention, health screening and early detection, encouraging people to better understand their health and identify potential risks sooner.
Healthy Lungs for Life is a collaborative initiative of the European Lung Foundation and the European Respiratory Society. Working with patients, healthcare professionals and civil society organisations at national level and regional level, it combines scientific evidence, public engagement and advocacy to promote lung health and highlight the issues that contribute to it.
Through Healthy Lungs for Life, respiratory organisations can help ensure that lung health is represented in this Europe-wide initiative. Activities could range from lung function testing and breathing checks to awareness campaigns, education sessions and community outreach.
These activities can encourage people to take action for their health and highlight the role of lung health checks within routine care.
The European Lung Foundation (ELF) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) are encouraging respiratory organsations, healthcare providers, patient groups and community organisations to take part in EU Screening Week through the Healthy Lungs for Life (HLfL) campaign.
Healthy lungs and healthy hearts are closely connected. Many of the factors that affect cardiovascular health, including smoking, air pollution and physical inactivity, can also affect lung health.
Early detection can help identify health problems before they become more serious. However, lung health checks are not routinely included in many prevention and screening programmes.
EU Screening Week provides an opportunity for the respiratory community to raise awareness of lung health, promote prevention and early detection, and highlight the importance of including lung health checks alongside other routine health assessments.
By taking part, respiratory organisations can help build support for the inclusion of lung health checks within routine healthcare and reinforce the importance of considering lung health alongside cardiovascular health in future European prevention and screening initiatives.
EU Screening Week brings together organisations across Europe to raise awareness of the importance of prevention, screening and early detection. To learn more about the initiative and discover lung health activities taking place near you, visit the EU Screening Week event page.
Healthy Lungs for Life is a collaborative initiative of the European Lung Foundation (ELF) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS), supported by the Clean Air Fund. Working with patients, healthcare professionals and civil society organisations, the campaign promotes lung health through public engagement, advocacy and awareness-raising activities. To learn more about the campaign and access resources, visit the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign page.
