RESPIRATORY HEALTH A STARK WARNING
More than 80 million people in Europe are affected by chronic respiratory diseases with many more undiagnosed, warns a new report from the World Health Organisation and European Respiratory Society.
A new report from WHO/Europe and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) reveals that chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) – including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung conditions – are vastly underdiagnosed, poorly managed and significantly underestimated in their impact on health systems across the WHO European Region.
As the first WHO report of its kind, it highlights the true scale of the problem and calls for urgent, coordinated action.
Despite the fact that they are often preventable and treatable, CRDs are among the leading contributors to disability and death in the Region, particularly as underlying causes of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. They are currently the sixth-leading cause of death.
“COPD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 80% OF CRD-RELATED DEATHS.”
Alarmingly, diagnostic capacity and tools such as spirometry remain limited, primary healthcare services often misdiagnose or delay referrals, and health professionals lack sufficient training to identify CRDs early. High rates of comorbidities and complications, inadequate health information, and weak reporting systems may misattribute the cause of death, masking the true impact of untreated CRDs.
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“This report shows that chronic respiratory diseases, which affect 81.7 million people in the WHO European Region, have long been overlooked due to insufficient policy focus and underfunding. This neglect has led to underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis and incomplete data, costing the Region an estimated $21bn annually,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“To change this, we must strengthen health systems by making care for chronic respiratory diseases a core part of broader strategies for addressing noncommunicable diseases. Prevention is key – this means tackling risks such as smoking, air pollution and unsafe working conditions. We also need to boost research and innovation, set measurable targets, and invest in data and science.”
CRDS FALLING OFF THE AGENDA While earlier progress led to a decline in CRD mortality, the report highlights that this success has, ironically, led to reduced research funding and weakened surveillance. Global data exists, but regional tracking and coordinated action have fallen short. As a result, even though 81.7 million people in the Region are living with a CRD and 6.8 million are newly diagnosed each year, CRDs have slipped from policy priorities, leaving millions without the care and attention they need.
COPD and asthma account for the majority of CRD cases in the Region, and COPD is responsible for 80%
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