World Lung Day 2019: Healthy Lungs For All

    World Lung Day 2019: Healthy Lungs For All

    World Lung Day (WLD), 25 September, is a day for lung health advocacy and action, an opportunity for us all to unite and promote better lung health globally.

    If you haven't joined yet, sign up as a WLD partner by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., all our WLD partners are included on our partners page. 

    Respiratory diseases impose an immense worldwide health burden. The facts are shocking:

    • 384 million people suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 3 million die from it each year, making it the third leading cause of death worldwide.
    • 10 million people develop tuberculosis and 1.6 million die from it each year, making it the most common lethal infectious disease.
    • 1.76 million people die from lung cancer each year, making it the most deadly cancer.
    • 334 million people suffer from asthma, making it the most common chronic disease of childhood. It affects 14 percent of children globally − and rising.
    • Pneumonia kills millions of people each year making it a leading cause of death in the very young and very old.
    • 91 percent of the world’s population live in places where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits.

    2019 World Lung Day Theme

    On 23 September, just two days before WLD the UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) takes place. UHC calls for all people to receive the health services they need, when they need it, without suffering financial hardship. 

    Universal coverage is particularly important to persons with respiratory disease. For example, a break in the supply of medicine for patient with tuberculosis could cause the development of drug resistance, which carries serious consequences. The abrupt unavailability of asthma medicine could cause severe suffering and even death. Lack of health care provider availability usually means delay in diagnosis, which could be fatal for lung cancer patients.

    The global spotlight on UHC represents an opportunity for substantial progress in the fight against lung disease around the world.

    On WLD we are asking the lung health community to raise awareness of the burden of respiratory disease, whilst advocating for UHC.

    WLD messaging includes ‘Leave no one behind. On #WorldLungDay call for HEALTHY LUNGS FOR ALL.’

    World Lung Day Toolkit

    World Lung Day Images (click on the image to save)

    Sized for Facebook & Twitter

    World Lung Day Pledge Campaign

    What will you pledge to do this WLD?

    On WLD please share one of these WLD pledges on your social media accounts, or you could take a photograph of yourself doing something for WLD. Don't forget to include #WorldLungDay in your posts. If you would like to write your own pledge, here is a blank pledge which can be printed. 

    Sized for Facebook

    Sized for Twitter

    World Lung Day Materials in Spanish

    World Lung Day Materials in Portuguese 

    World Lung Day Events

    You could hold an even on or near WLD to celebrate lung health, this could be a community event, lung testing with spirometry, a press conference or even an interview on radio or tv. Send through details of your event, these will be added to the website.

    If you're looking for event inspiration, why not consider holding a Healthy Lungs for Life event? The Healthy Lungs for Life campaign encourages people to protect their lungs by being physically active, stopping smoking, reducing air pollution and getting vaccinated. Past events have included spirometry testing, group exercise, stop smoking advice clinics and vaccination pledges. To find out more and download your toolkit, visit the Healthy Lungs for Life website and don't forget to tell the world by sharing the Healthy Lungs for Life pledge image (above) on your social media pages. 

    Partner Events

    • Allergy & Asthma Network are planning a variety of events, including a lung heath event, Facebook live event, interviews and sharing WLD content
    • Italian Association for Cough Study and Terme di Cervia will hold a spirometry testing event, symposium and press conference
    • King Fahd National Guard Hospital will hold a lung diseases conference, view the flyer
    • Air for Health will be promting WLD in Bulgaria through social media, launch of a report on air pollution, a spirometry event in the park and press release
    • Lovexair Foundation will be sharing WLD messages online
    • The Royal Society of Medicine, London will be holding an event the day before WLD, Home mechanical ventilation: Demystified, at the event delegates will be encouraged to post about WLD, find out more about the event here
    • Association of European Cancer Leagues will be sharing WLD messages online
    • Haiti Cholera Research Funding Foundation will host a workshop on lung cancer, view event here and event flyer here
    • Jamaica Lung Support are encouraging everyone to wear blue to show support to everyone living with chronic lung disease, view leaflet here
    • Val Waterhouse Center have a WLD display which is part of their celebration of pulmonary rehab
    • The Portuguese Society of Pulmonology will organise on WLD a “sunset without tobacco” event in Lisbon to show that it is possible to spend a pleasant evening with music, cold drinks (non-alcoholic) and especially without tobacco, see flyer
    • The Turkish Respiratory are sharing the toolkit on social media and on their website
    • The Indonesian Society of Respirology will be doing many things on WLD including a press conference, talkshow and one day symposia
    • The Georgian Respiratory Society will be sharing the toolkit 
    • The TB Association Charsadad Pakistan will hold a free medical camp on WLD

    Journals Offering Free World Lung Day Content

    A number of journals have agreed to support WLD by offering free content related to lung health, these are:

    Other Useful Information

     

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