In July, I joined the European Medicines Agency in Amsterdam as we marked 30 years of EMA and 20 years of its Patients’ and Consumers’ Working Party. EFA has been part of the PCWP since 2013, bringing the perspectives of people living with allergy and respiratory diseases into EMA activities. It was a good moment to reflect on the progress made in patient involvement and on the importance of not only keeping but further advancing the patient voice at the heart of decisions that affect care and treatment.

We are now looking ahead to a great autumn. In September, we will mark World Atopic Eczema Day together with the EFA Community, continuing our call to #BreakTheInvisibleBurden. We will also be present at the ERS, EADV and European Health Forum Gastein Congresses, where we will keep highlighting the importance of turning the World Health Assembly resolutions on lung health and skin diseases into concrete action at national level.

Before then, I would like to wish all our readers a restful and enjoyable summertime. We look forward to reconnecting in September!

Warm regards,

Károly Illy, 
EFA President 
+31 6 81463663 

#KeepBreathing: strengthening lung health policy in Europe 
The European Lung Health Group’s #KeepBreathing campaign is now featured on the European Lung Foundation’s Global Voices 2026 platform. The story highlights how patient organisations and healthcare professionals are working together to make lung health a stronger public health priority in Europe. It also looks back at the group’s activities at the European Health Forum Gastein 2025, including discussions on better lung health policies and free lung function testing for participants. 

LungHealth4Life: sharing knowledge for healthier schools 
A second Global Voices story presents the LungHealth4Life Community of Practice, run by EFA as part of the EU-funded LungHealth4Life project. The network brings together patients, healthcare professionals, educators, researchers and public health experts to improve lung health promotion and disease prevention in schools. At its first 2026 meeting, 23 experts shared lessons from school activities and discussed the development of a repository of practical Lung Health Best Practices that can be used across countries and communities. 

On 14 September, the global atopic eczema community will mark World Atopic Eczema Day under the theme #BreakTheInvisibleBurden. Affecting more than 230 million people worldwide, atopic eczema can have a profound impact on sleep, work, education and emotional wellbeing, yet it remains under-recognised in health policy. This year’s campaign calls for the World Health Assembly Resolution on skin diseases to be turned into concrete action, ensuring that the mental, social and economic burden of atopic eczema is properly recognised and addressed at national, regional and global level. 

2 October 2026, 14:30–16:30 | The Stage, Vienna | register by 30 August 

Join EFA on 2 October 2026 in Vienna for a policy session on turning the World Health Assembly Resolution on skin diseases into practical action for people living with atopic eczema in Europe. Bringing together patients, healthcare professionals and policymakers, the discussion will look at the next steps for awareness, advocacy and policy action, including in the context of the upcoming Global Action Plan on skin diseases. Places are limited. Register by 30 August.

Extreme heat is a growing health threat, especially for people living with asthma and COPD, whose symptoms can worsen during heatwaves. In June, WHO/Europe published updated guidance on Heat–Health Action Plans, calling for stronger national preparedness through warning systems, coordinated governance, targeted communication and measures to reduce heat exposure. Crucially, the guidance emphasises identifying and protecting people at increased risk. These priorities echo EFA’s calls for stronger climate resilience and tailored public information. EFA and its members are ready to support effective implementation at national level.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted new international guidance on Precautionary Allergen Labelling, covering warnings such as “may contain”. For people with food allergy, inconsistent and overused warnings can lead to confusion, unnecessary food restrictions and reduced trust in labels. EFA contributed to the Codex process as an Observer, calling for labelling that is clear, consistent and based on appropriate risk assessment. The next step is EU action: as the European Commission works towards harmonised rules, EFA urges it to ensure allergen warnings are reliable, understandable and genuinely protective for patients.