COPD is one of the most pressing yet overlooked public health challenges in Europe. On 5 February, EFA is organising “Raising the Standards of Care for COPD in Europe” at the European Parliament, bringing together policymakers, patient advocates and civil society to call for stronger COPD care and prevention.

Following our 2024 report, this roundtable will highlight the urgent need to prioritise COPD on health agendas and explore solutions to improve standards of care across Europe.

Registrations for in-person attendance are closed, but you can still register to participate online until 3 February and be part of the discussion!

EFA and GA²LEN’s new joint action plan, “Towards a Common Approach for Managing Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis at School,” outlines four steps to improve children’s safety from the risk of anaphylaxis in schools. Led by EFA President Marcia Podestà as the first author and co-authored by the EFA food allergy community, this collaborative effort highlights the power of patients and experts working together. From staff training to emergency preparedness, it provides practical actions to protect students.

The European Union list of critical medicines now includes 288 essential treatments and five of them are directly used for asthma and COPD. Our analysis explains this important coordination effort of the EU to ensure patients’ access and describes the different medicines included in the list that are critical for patients with airways diseases.

The launch of the first EU-level cooperation framework on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) will streamline the processes before new health technologies enter the market, making them more harmonised, efficient and patient-focused. Joint clinical assessments and EU-level reports will support national health ministries in deciding which medicines and medical devices to prescribe, for which conditions, and under what pricing and reimbursement schemes.

The evaluation of the Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health (SCBHT) Regulation assesses the EU’s readiness for future health crises, ensuring stronger coordination and preparedness. EFA’s response highlights the need for greater civil society involvement, action on healthcare workforce shortages, and recognition of chronic diseases and climate change as key health threats to build a more resilient health system.

At the EU Healthy Air Coalition event, EFA Board member Christine Strous highlighted the urgent need for clean air as a healthcare priority and sharing powerful stories from the #EFACommunity about how air pollution impacts patients with asthma, allergy and COPD. EFA is calling for immediate action to address this health crisis by putting clean air at the top of political agendas and involving patients in shaping policies.