International Respiratory Coalition (IRC) Summit

Nearly 550 million people globally live with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis and many rare and severe respiratory diseases. The outbreak of COVID-19 led to increased healthcare capacity concentrated in the respiratory field, but at the same time patients with various chronic conditions faced limited access to essential health services. The pandemic exposed gaps in respiratory care which need urgent attention.

The IRC was formed in response to those gaps and believes that the lessons learned during the pandemic should be a catalyst for change in healthcare systems globally. The IRC aims to support the creation of national-level respiratory strategies based on best practices and promote building resilience in managing future pandemics.

Day one: Tuesday 28 June (open session)

The IRC Summit will introduce you to the concept behind the IRC in full, explain how the Coalition aims to support the transformation of respiratory care at national level and present sessions focusing on:

• The current priorities in the respiratory field
• The impact of COVID-19 on respiratory care
• How can we progress in the post-pandemic world

IRC partners encourage attendance at day one of this event for anyone interested in the improvement of respiratory care. We also welcome support for this initiative from individuals and organisations.

Day two: Wednesday 29 June (closed session)

The second day will focus on country level respiratory strategies and national practices aiming to improve lung health in the context of (post-) pandemic challenges. Presentations from across Europe will facilitate exchange of experiences, lessons learned and examples of best practices that can be taken into account or replicated in order to overcome consequences of COVID-19, boost resilience of respiratory health systems, contribute to preparedness for future pandemics and also improve chronic respiratory diseases care. Day two will help build the IRC roadmap for the coming months.

• How did the field of respiratory care evolve through the COVID-19 pandemic?
• What are the new strengths and weaknesses to keep in mind?
• How can we benefit from this experience to ensure improved essential respiratory care for chronic diseases?
• What are the patients’ perspectives and contributions to developments in respiratory research, care, and treatment?
• Which practices from various disease areas can be applicable to respiratory medicine?
• What can we learn from the interdisciplinary exchange?
• Can we achieve better outcomes for public health aligning our efforts across multiple disease areas?
• Are new priorities and challenges reflected in the national respiratory strategies? How can we ensure all countries have one?
• What are the best practices at the national level? Can they be replicated across Europe and beyond?
• What is an ideal package of respiratory care? What is the minimum level of respiratory care?