EFA and GARD launched a joint press release in connection our meetings in Rome highlighting that both are working with and for people with respiratory diseases for a world where everyone breaths freely. Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRD) affect one billion people worldwide and every year four million people die as a result.
The GARD Action Plan 2008-2013 within the framework of the WHO’s Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2008-2013 shows that there is a clear need for collaboration between health policy makers, providers and patient organisations to improve care and the environment and the integration of health concerns into all policies. EFA is a founding member of GARD and is represented in the GARD Planning Group by Otto Spranger.
In Europe, the EU Health Strategy could be a powerful tool to support health in all policies if implemented effectively, in particular making vigorous health impact assessment that takes into account also the needs of people with allergy, asthma and COPD, a requirement for all EU policies. EFA welcomes that the WHO has made chronic respiratory diseases one of its’ priorities and echoes MEP Christina Muscardini in challenging the EU to do the same.
WHO fact sheet on CRD: http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/fact_sheet_respiratory_en.pdf