Breathing Better: Scaling up EU Prevention Policies for Respiratory Health
Report from the EU Parliament event, September 23, 2025

An urgent call from policymakers and experts

In her opening remarks, MEP Romana Jerković underlined the enormous societal and economic burden of respiratory diseases — with more than 80 million Europeans living with chronic respiratory conditions, 400,000 deaths every year, and an annual cost of 1.4 trillion euros. “We are not here to accept the status quo,” she said, stressing that prevention, environmental protection, and early detection must be at the top of the EU agenda.

MEP Tomislav Sokol also emphasized the importance of prevention, pointing to tobacco, small particulate pollution, and coal power plants as urgent issues for cross-border action.

ERS President Prof. Silke Ryan reminded participants that despite the scale of the problem, only 0.1% of the EU’s €5.4 billion health budget is currently directed to chronic respiratory diseases — a striking mismatch between need and resources.

The science is clear
Several researchers presented compelling data on how environmental factors shape respiratory health. Dr. Ulrike Gehring highlighted how even everyday exposure to polluted air can harm nearly every organ system.

Prof. Chris Griffiths (University of Oxford) shared insights from ongoing research on children’s lung health in polluted versus cleaner environments. Early findings suggest that stronger clean air policies can make a measurable difference in children’s lung development, underlining how quickly health benefits can follow improvements in air quality.

The conclusion was clear: Environmental policy is health policy.

Patient voices at the heart

One of the most impactful parts of the event came from the patient community. Ron Flewett of the European Pulmonary Fibrosis Federation (EU-PFF) shared his journey with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Given only 3–5 years to live at diagnosis, he received a double lung transplant in 2023 — the only current “cure,” though available to just 1% of patients. He also spoke about stigma, financial pressures, and the daily challenges of living with severe lung disease.

Representing PHA Europe, I was honored to share my personal story of living with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) for more than 20 years. I called for:

• including lung diseases in the EU’s cardiovascular health plan,
• reducing inequalities in access to treatment,
• supporting innovation and new medicines (especially for PH-ILD, where no treatments exist),
• and recognizing the importance of holistic care.

I also reminded the audience that climate change is not an abstract issue for patients: extreme heat and pollution directly worsen our symptoms and quality of life.

Read my full speech here.

A way forward
The event concluded with a strong call for action: Europe needs a comprehensive EU Lung Health Plan that prioritizes prevention, invests in research, and ensures equitable access to care. Patient testimonies made it clear that behind every statistic there are lives, families, and hopes for the future.

Hall Skaara
Project Manger, PHA Europe
Sep 24th, 2025