Global coalition calls for stronger government action on COPD
pharmafile | September 18, 2026 | News story | | Joint Declaration, Speak Up for COPD coalition, UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health
A global coalition of patient advocates, industry and non-profit organisations has called on governments to strengthen action on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), citing widespread underdiagnosis and inequalities in access to care.
The Speak Up for COPD coalition has launched a Joint Declaration setting out priorities for improving COPD outcomes, including earlier diagnosis, equitable access to guideline-recommended treatment, integrated long-term management and prevention.
More than 70% of people living with COPD are estimated to remain undiagnosed, while the disease affects around 480 million people worldwide and is the third leading cause of death globally.
The declaration calls for greater investment in diagnostic capacity in community and primary care settings, alongside evidence-based diagnostic tools and measures to monitor the quality of COPD care.
It also calls for structured patient reviews, self-management support and multidisciplinary approaches to be embedded in routine COPD management, with measurable indicators for continuity of care.
On prevention, the coalition is calling for stronger vaccination programmes and action to reduce exposure to air pollution and occupational risks, alongside measures addressing wider social determinants of health.
The declaration highlights inequalities in COPD outcomes, with people in the lowest socioeconomic groups at least twice as likely to experience poor outcomes including hospitalisation and death. Women in lower-income settings can also face additional risks from household air pollution caused by biomass fuel used for cooking.
Ricardo Baptista Leite, Founder and President of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, said the burden of COPD reflected both unequal exposure to risk and unequal access to care.
“The Joint Declaration provides governments with a framework for action across diagnosis, treatment, integrated disease management and prevention,” he said. “Parliamentarians have a pivotal role ensuring that governments translate those commitments into funded national strategies, measurable targets and stronger health systems.”
The coalition warned that without intervention, the global number of people living with COPD could approach 600 million by 2050.
The declaration was developed with contributions from patient and professional organisations including the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform, COPD Foundation and International Pharmaceutical Federation, with funding from AstraZeneca, GSK, Roche, Sanofi and Regeneron.
