5 February 2026
The International Respiratory Coalition (IRC) held its first gathering of national coalition partners for 2026 on 27 January, bringing together representatives from across the network to share updates and set the agenda for the year ahead.
With many national coalition partners having built solid foundations over the past years, from signing Memoranda of Understanding and forming partnerships to growing their memberships, 2026 promises to be a year of action.
Coalition spotlights: France and Belgium
The session featured presentations from two coalitions at different stages of their journey, offering valuable insights for partners across the network.
France: Collectif Droit à Respirer shared how their Respiratory Health Observatory, now in its third year, has become a powerful advocacy tool. The Observatory contributed to a landmark Court of Auditors report calling for a national respiratory plan. The coalition has since been developing a comprehensive 17-measure National Respiratory Health Plan (2026 to 2030) and is preparing to position respiratory health as a priority in the upcoming presidential cycle.
Belgium: The Belgian coalition, founded in 2024, offered a candid look at the earlier stages of development. Having secured IRC seed funding and built visibility through events, including World COPD Day at the Chamber of Representatives, the team is now working on the development of a national chronic respiratory diseases plan with an ambitious timeline that extends to 2035.
Both coalitions emphasised the value of aligning with existing national health strategies and building connections with environmental policy stakeholders.
Key dates for 2026
Annual IRC Coalition Workshop: 5–6 May, Brussels
- Theme: “Turning Commitments into Action.”
- Sessions will cover national strategy development, leveraging global policy, presentations from coalitions, a poster session, networking and action planning.
ERS Congress: 5–9 September, Barcelona
- IRC presence in the World Village
- IRC Networking Breakfast, 9 September, 08:00–09:00 CET: Networking and best practice sharing for national coalitions and supporters of IRC
Quarterly Meetings (online, 16:00–17:00 CET)
- Spring: 31 March
- Summer: 23 June
- Autumn: 27 October