22 June 2026
Prof Anita Simonds, Chair of the International Respiratory Coalition (IRC), and Prof Zorana Andersen, incoming Chair of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Advocacy Council, recently attended a high-level meeting in Copenhagen with the WHO European Region.
The meeting brought together key partners to explore how to deepen collaboration on some of the most pressing health challenges facing Europe today, with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including COPD and asthma, at the centre of conversations.
The discussion was convened by WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, and focused on translating shared ambition into concrete action. Five priority areas were identified for collaboration:
- strengthening NCD prevention and health promotion;
- addressing the health workforce crisis;
- advancing digital health and AI;
- preparing health systems for future threats;
- and integrating climate action into health policy.
For the IRC, this meeting marks an important step forward in our work to support coalitions across Europe in driving meaningful change on respiratory health.
Reflecting on the meeting, IRC Chair Prof. Anita Simonds, said:
“The International Respiratory Coalition is committed to building the kind of partnerships that can shift the dial on respiratory health policy. Our discussions with WHO Europe in Copenhagen were a meaningful step in that direction, and I look forward to seeing this collaboration develop into concrete support for coalitions working on the ground. Our next initiative is to implement the WHO-ERS Chronic Respiratory Disease Report 2025 and to this end, we will be piloting a WHO Workbook with 10 national coalitions supported by the IRC.”
A workshop around this workbook is being planned, which IRC will support. The meeting will bring together coalition representatives alongside policymakers, ministries of health, and other key decision-makers.