Copenhagen hosted the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC75), where governments, WHO officials and civil-society organisations reviewed progress and set new directions for the region’s health agenda. The discussions spanned noncommunicable diseases, preparedness, ageing and child health. For EFA, it was an opportunity to ensure that the needs of people living with allergy, asthma, COPD and atopic eczema were reflected in these emerging strategies.
EFA was represented by our President Marcia Podestà and Senior Policy Advisor Panagiotis Chaslaridis, who followed the negotiations closely and engaged directly with Member States. We addressed the committee during the debate on the new WHO Regional Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health 2026–2030. This is a key framework for shaping national policies affecting Europe’s youngest populations.
EFA President Marcia Podestà delivering the statement
EFA’s intervention on child and adolescent health
Taking the floor in the plenary, Marcia urged countries to integrate the recently adopted World Health Assembly resolutions on lung health and skin diseases into the Strategy from the outset. She underlined that asthma and atopic eczema are among the most common chronic conditions beginning in childhood and often persist into adulthood, accompanied by a range of co-morbidities.
Marcia also highlighted that the burden of these diseases is not limited to clinical symptoms. They influence how children learn, participate and develop socially, and they often lead to school absenteeism, anxiety and reduced confidence. These daily realities can shape a child’s trajectory long before adulthood.
EFA called on governments to address the factors that drive and exacerbate these conditions: commercial determinants such as tobacco and novel nicotine products that target young people, indoor and outdoor air pollution in homes, schools and cities, and uneven access to early diagnosis and coordinated care. The intervention also called for recognising the emotional and social impact on families and for giving young people a say in their care, using digital tools where helpful.
The statement, co-signed with nine partner organisations, was one of the most unified civil-society interventions at RC75, supported by partner organisations from hospital managers, primary care, public health and respiratory professionals. The Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health was adopted shortly afterwards. This is an important achievement that will now require sustained implementation at national level.
EFA delegation at WHORC 75
A wider agenda: European Programme of Work and Ageing
The child health debate took place alongside discussions on the Second European Programme of Work 2026–2030 (EPW2), the framework that will guide WHO/Europe’s priorities for the coming years. EPW2 places renewed emphasis on noncommunicable diseases, climate and environmental health and preparedness for future health threats. These themes align closely with EFA’s long-standing advocacy for prevention, clean air and stronger responses to environmental determinants of respiratory and allergic disease.
WHO/Europe also introduced components of its forthcoming “Ageing is Living” Strategy 2026–2030, which will focus on prevention, innovation and age-friendly systems. For EFA, this direction reflects findings from its recent COPD report, which highlights the barriers older adults face in accessing timely diagnosis and appropriate care. Building on the WHA Lung Health Resolution, our joint #KeepBreathing initiative, in collaboration with nine European partner organisations, aims to translate these COPD and ageing priorities into a stronger EU lung health policy and, ultimately, a future European Lung Health Plan. Both the EU and WHO Europe must play a leading role. Together with the child health strategy, it forms part of a broader life-course approach that recognises lung and skin health as central to wellbeing at every age.
EFA President Marcia Podestà and Hans Kluge, Regional Director for WHO Europe
Civil society and the implementation test
Throughout RC75, EFA met with Member States, WHO officials and fellow non-state actors to discuss how regional priorities can translate into practical improvements for patients. A dedicated session on civil-society engagement signalled WHO/Europe’s intention to work more systematically with organisations that represent lived experience. This is important because policies designed without patient involvement often fail to address the realities people face.
As the meeting closed, the commitments set out in Copenhagen offered a clear sense of direction for the years ahead. The real test will lie in implementation. For EFA, the week marked a meaningful step in ensuring that lung and skin health feature prominently in Europe’s evolving health agenda. The task now is to support our members in their home countries in turning these strategies into changes that improve prevention, care and quality of life for all to #KeepBreathing and live healthier lives.
Read EFA's joint statement on child and adolescent Health with nine organisations here.