This WHO report documents the eighteenth annual meeting of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD), held virtually on 28 October 2025. GARD is a voluntary network of national and international organizations convened by WHO, committed to reducing the global burden of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), with particular attention to low- and middle-income countries. The meeting reviewed high-level commitments on CRDs achieved in 2025, including the first-ever World Health Assembly resolution on lung health and the inclusion of CRDs in the UN political declaration on noncommunicable diseases, and covered ongoing actions such as a campaign to improve access to inhaled medicines, a new Global Primary Care Respiratory Collaborative, and efforts to amplify the voices of people living with CRDs. The report closes with an update on GARD's steering committee rotation and plans to mark the alliance's twentieth anniversary in 2026.
Key Insights
GARD currently has 47 reaffirmed member organizations, including national alliances GARD-Italy and GARD-Turkiye embedded within their respective ministries of health.
The World Health Assembly adopted the first-ever resolution on lung health in May 2025, titled "Promoting and prioritizing an integrated lung health approach," initially proposed by Malaysia.
The UN General Assembly held its fourth high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases and mental health in September 2025, resulting in a political declaration with explicit references to CRDs, specifically naming asthma and COPD.
The second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, convened by WHO and the Government of Colombia in March 2025, generated pledges to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by 50% by 2040.
Research across 60 low- and middle-income countries found significant gaps in the availability and affordability of basic asthma and COPD treatments, even though these medicines are included on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.
Fewer than 10% of policymakers recognize COPD as the third leading cause of death globally, according to observations from side events at the UN high-level meeting.
The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) formalized a strengthened collaboration during a recent meeting in China, focused on addressing shared challenges in diagnosis, management, and equitable access to affordable inhaled therapies.
A new Global Primary Care Respiratory Collaborative was introduced, aiming to strengthen primary care for CRDs in low- and middle-income countries by bringing together producers, users, and funders of implementation research, beginning with the WHO South-East Asia Region.
The European Lung Foundation collected more than 200 personal stories from individuals across regions to illustrate the lived experience of CRDs, compiled into a video showcased at the European Respiratory Society Congress and a UN General Assembly side event.
The State of Global Air report identifies air pollution as the leading risk factor for mortality among people living with CRDs worldwide.
GARD's steering committee includes representatives from ten member organizations, with members serving a two-year term renewable once for a maximum service of four years.
