At this year’s World Health Assembly – 19–27 May in Geneva, Switzerland – lung health is firmly on the agenda. An important draft resolution – Promoting and prioritising an integrated approach to lung health – has been recommended by the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Executive Board for adoption.
The assembly is the decision-making body of the WHO and is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States.
What does the proposed resolution on lung health include?
The resolution focuses on promoting and prioritising lung health through an integrated approach. It acknowledges the rising costs and prevalence of lung diseases, as well as their shared risk factors. It also specifically highlights the risks of air pollution (both indoor and outdoor), radon exposure and tobacco, and the impact of stigma in limiting progress – at both individual and policy level – on lung health.
The resolution calls for Member States to take urgent action on lung health through a range of measures, including:
- developing integrated national policies
- incorporating an integrated approach to primary care
- improving awareness of air pollution and occupational risks
- strengthening programmes that focus on health promotion and prevention related to tobacco
- expanding the evidence for action on lung health and using it to inform policy
- improving access to technologies (including medicines and vaccines).
What would the adoption of the resolution mean?
The adoption of the resolution would solidify the WHO’s commitment to lung health and provide a pathway for Member States to take action.
Resolutions also help catalyse further funding and policy commitments on priority issues for the WHO and Member States. For those working to engage policymakers in their local settings, the resolution can also act as a tool with which to advocate and build policy momentum.
Why should we take an integrated approach to lung health?
The term ‘lung health’ encompasses a range of communicable (e.g. tuberculosis, COVID-19) and non-communicable (e.g. lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) lung conditions. Though the conditions differ, there are many common risk factors – as well as similarities when it comes to who is most likely to be affected.
For example, smoking is a significant risk factor for lung cancer, COPD and emphysema. Air pollution is a rising concern, and dangerously high levels are an issue in many countries – particularly in urban areas – causing extremely poor air quality.
Globally, rates of many lung conditions, including lung cancer, are projected to rise, making action on these shared issues a pressing public health priority.
Given these similarities, by viewing lung health in the round and taking actions that could lead to benefits across a range of conditions, there is an opportunity to enhance prevention and health promotion activities and maximise their impact.
What is the Lung Cancer Policy Network doing at this year’s Assembly?
The Network Secretariat and Network members are honoured to be participating in activities surrounding this year’s assembly, and we will be closely watching the developments in Geneva.
We are taking part in a roundtable hosted by the Union for International Cancer Control and the Malaysian Ministry for Health, which have spearheaded the development of the resolution. This will be an important opportunity for those working in lung health to share learnings from their successes, and look ahead to discover how the ambitions of the resolution can be implemented.
In addition to our participation in the roundtable, we are co-hosting an event with the Swedish Institute for Health Economics and TriMar Strategies. ‘Lung Cancer Policy: From Targets to Tangible Measurements’ builds on the development of a global lung cancer consensus statement, and aims to identify concrete ways to track progress at the country level.
The Secretariat will be in Geneva in person from 19–22 May. If you are attending the World Health Assembly, please contact the Network Secretariat if you would like to arrange a meeting.
