ERS founded ELF in 2000 and provides core funding for ELF activities. Founded in 1990, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) is a not-for-profit, international medical organisation with over 10,000 members from 100 countries. It is the biggest society in Europe in its field. ERS seeks to alleviate suffering from respiratory disease and promote lung health through research, sharing of knowledge and through medical and public education.

The ELF patient organisation network consists of patient organisations from across Europe working together for lung health. View the ELF Patient Organisation Network database to find out more about your local organisations, including their priority areas and contact details. If you know of other organisations that you would like us to include, please send us their contact information. Or, if your organisation would like to join our ELF Patient Organisation Network please complete the application form.

ELF works with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as an eligible patients and consumers organisation. This means that ELF helps to find patient experts for EMA patient involvement opportunities; for example, to review the information that is included with medications, called a package leaflet, to make sure that it can be understood by patients. ELF is also a member of two EMA topic groups to raise awareness and improve how patients are involved in the work of the EMA. Visit the EMA website for more details on how the EMA works with eligible patient and consumer organisations.

ELF is a member of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), a global alliance representing patients of all nations across all disease areas. ELF supports IAPO’s efforts to promote patient-centred healthcare around the world.

ELF is an associate member of EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe. EURORDIS is a non-profit alliance of over 700 rare disease patient organisations from more than 60 countries that work together to improve the lives of the 30 million people living with a rare disease in Europe.

ERN-LUNG is a Network of European Healthcare Providers (HCPs) dedicated to ensuring and promoting excellence in care and research for the benefit of patients affected by rare respiratory diseases. Its vision is to be a European knowledge hub for rare respiratory diseases with the aim of decreasing morbidity and mortality from such diseases in people of all ages. It is a non-profit, international, professional, patient-centric and scientific network that is committed Europe-wide and globally to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of rare respiratory diseases through patient care and advocacy, education and research. In keeping with these goals, ERN-LUNG interacts with both national and international organisations which have similar goals. ELF is part of the ePAG of ERN-LUNG.

We are partners with the Healthy Workplaces campaign which aims to create safer and healthier workplaces for everyone’s benefit.