Join the International Respiratory Coalition (IRC) at the ERS International Congress in Barcelona, 5–9 September 2026, as we bring data, advocacy and patient voices together at the world’s largest gathering of the respiratory community.
What to expect
Across two sessions in the World Village auditorium and a morning networking session, IRC will share updated Lung Facts data, real-world advocacy examples from national coalitions, and the patient advocate perspectives shaping respiratory health policy across Europe.
Monday, 7 September
IRC Lung Facts: Using Data to Drive Policy Change | World Village Auditorium, Hall 2 | 15:00–15:30 CEST
How can data be used to drive meaningful policy change? This session presents the 2026 updates to the IRC Lung Facts and highlights real-world examples from national coalitions that have used it to support advocacy, engage decision-makers, and advance respiratory health priorities.
The session will be chaired by IRC Chair, Anita Simonds, alongside speakers from the IRC national respiratory coalitions Jana DeBrandt (Belgium) and Aleksander Kania (Poland).
IRC Patient Engagement: Strengthening Advocacy for Lung Health | World Village Auditorium, Hall 2 | 15:45–16:15 CEST
Patient voices are essential to shaping policy and driving meaningful change in respiratory health. This session showcases how persons living with respiratory disease contribute to IRC and its national coalitions, strengthen advocacy efforts, influence decision-makers, and help build more effective national respiratory strategies.
The session will be chaired by former European Lung Foundation Chair, Kjeld Hansen, alongside patient advocate speakers from the IRC national respiratory coalitions, Juan Fuertes Guillén (Spain) and Jean-Michel Fourrier (France).
Wednesday, 9 September
IRC Networking Breakfast | HQ2 | 08:00–09:00 CEST
A working breakfast for IRC coalition members and partners. The session will be led by IRC Chair, Anita Simonds and features ERS President and Polish national coalition member, Joanna Chorostowska.