Hundreds of millions of people suffer every day from chronic respiratory diseases. According to the latest WHO estimates (2007), currently 300 million people have asthma; 210 million people have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) while countless millions have allergic rhinitis and other often under diagnosed chronic respiratory diseases. Lung diseases are very common in all populations and all age groups worldwide they account for 19% of total deaths and 15% of disability adjusted life years. Despite this evidence, public and political awareness of respiratory and lung diseases is very limited. Therefore, the ERS together with the other leading international respiratory societies in the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) have declared 2010 the international Year of the Lung in an effort to increase awareness of the importance of lung health.

The main aims of the Year of the Lung are to:

1. Increase awareness for lung health and to initiate action in communities worldwide, and advocate for policy action to combat lung disease.
2. Reinforce the need to provide increased resources for basic and clinical research to improve patient care and quality of life.
3. Convey the message that most respiratory diseases are treatable, but that prevention is highly cost effective.
4. Spread the message that clean indoor and outdoor air is a fundamental human right and should be recognised as such.

The Year of the Lung will be launched in Europe on the 30th of January 2010 at the French-language Society of Pneumology (Société de Pneumologie de Langue Française) SPLF) conference in Marseille. Under the direction of the President Nikos Siafakas, the ERS is responsible for the European region activities during 2010 Year of the lung. This will include the following events.

Raising Awareness for Research Funding

The ERS together with the national respiratory societies throughout Europe will advocate for the need for more funding into medical and lung science research in the European Union through a major event in the European Parliament on the 13th of April. This event will focus on the future eighth Framework Programme for Research (FP8).

Public Health Promotion - High-level conference under the EU Presidency of the Council

Another major initiative will be an ERS conference on chronic respiratory diseases and potential public health measures that can be taken by the European Health Ministers together with the Presidency of the European Union chaired by Belgium on the 19th of October 2010.

Advocating for Clean Air - Climate Change and Air Quality

The ERS will organise a Year of the Lung event at the Parma Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health "Protecting Children's Health in a Changing Environment" in Parma, Italy, March 10-12. The event will focus on the key environmental factors that influence children's respiratory health such as environmental factors in outdoor and indoor air: traffic, industrial installations, pollen and other allergens, etc.

2010 also involves raising awareness for improving the environment and the ERS has launched the brochure on respiratory disease and climate change available here.

The ERS will also be raising awareness on air pollution by advocating for strong and effective air quality legislation and we call on the Council of Ministers and the Members of the European Parliament to amend the current the IPPC (Industrial Emissions Directive) in a way that ensures the health of citizens is best protected.

An air pollution booklet will also be launched at the Barcelona Congress.

First Ever World Spirometry Day - Involving Patients and Allied Health Professionals

ERS will co-ordinate the First ever World Spirometry Day where hospitals around the world will be offering lung function testing to the public. This is planned for the 14th October.

A practical guide is already available on the Year of the Lung website and more information about this unique event will follow.

Tobacco Control - World No Tobacco Day

The Year of the Lung declaration mentions the need for measures on smoking cessation and there will be ongoing actions on tobacco control together with the Smokefree Partnership with an event in the European Parliament to mark World No Tobacco Day, and a smoking cessation tent for the public at the Barcelona congress.

World Asthma Day

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, affecting more than 300 million people worldwide. It is also the most common chronic disease of childhood, and the leading cause of childhood morbidity from chronic disease as measured by school absences, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. ERS will be coordinating the Year of the Lung efforts on World Asthma Day 4th May 2010 http://www.ginasthma.com/. 

Burden of Disease

It is also foreseen that a publication on the burden of lung diseases in Europe will be launched in 2010: The European Lung Whitebook (2nd Edition).

Many other activities are of course planned in Europe and beyond and details of these can be found on the Year of the Lung website: www.2010yearofthelung.org.