Devex 40d ago

Chronic respiratory diseases are placing growing pressure on health systems worldwide, with nearly 500 million people living with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease globally. Despite rising mortality, economic costs, and increasing political recognition of lung health, many countries continue to face major gaps in prevention, early diagnosis, long-term monitoring, and access to care. In this high-level conversation from Devex Impact House @ WHA, global health leaders, policymakers, patient advocates, and healthcare experts explore how countries can move from global respiratory health commitments to practical national implementation — while building more integrated, resilient, and patient-centered models of care. The discussion examines how the four pillars of the NCD political declaration: prevention, early diagnosis, treatment access, and long-term monitoring can be translated into action to strengthen respiratory care systems, improve long-term respiratory disease outcomes, and reduce pressure on healthcare systems. Session highlights: 🔹 Accelerating national road maps for integrated lung health Dr. Frank Anthony, Guyana’s health minister, and José Luis Castro, WHO director-general’s special envoy for chronic respiratory diseases, discuss how countries can operationalize respiratory health commitments through national policies, integrated care pathways, and stronger primary healthcare systems. 🔹 Building the “implementation engine” for chronic respiratory care Ricardo Baptista Leite of UNITE/HealthAI, Laura Gutierrez of Sanofi, Riley Sanders of GAAPP, and Siân Williams of IPCRG examine the role of AI, public-private partnerships, patient-centered care, sustainable financing, and integrated monitoring systems in strengthening respiratory disease care globally. Moderated by: Kate Warren, Executive Vice President & Executive Editor, Devex This conversation was hosted by Devex in partnership with Sanofi and Regeneron. For more international development news, visit: http://www.devex.com Subscribe to the Devex YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=wwwdevexcom Follow us on: Facebook: @Devex Instagram: @devex_com LinkedIn: @Devex