Towards the development of an “EU respiratory health plan”

As COVID-19 shifts to an endemic phase, Active Citizenship Network calls for an integrated EU respiratory health plan, bringing together patient advocates, civil society, and policymakers to strengthen long-term respiratory care strategies.

As COVID-19 transitions from a pandemic to an endemic disease, its integration into the broader policy and healthcare framework for respiratory diseases becomes imperative. The EU has invested substantially in emergency response mechanisms such as the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), but there is no comprehensive, coordinated EU respiratory health plan that addresses both the legacy of Covid-19 and the systemic challenges revealed by respiratory infections that are among the most common infectious diseases in Europe, with many of their most serious consequences being preventable.

For this reason, it is also imperative to leverage the topic in front of the Institutions but also to inform, empower and mobilise the civil society. With this aim, on 3 October 2025, Active Citizenship Network will host an EU workshop in Brussels, a policy-related activity aimed at patient advocacy group representatives from among its partners. This high-level meeting is part of the EU project “Advancing Respiratory Care at the EU Level” and builds on activities that promote respiratory care across Europe, shifting the EU’s approach to respiratory care from emergency-driven responses to integrated, long-term strategies embedded in broader health policies.

In particular, on the occasion of the meeting, two documents will be presented:

1. The main findings from a European qualitative survey conducted to evaluate progress and gaps in policy, service transformation, public awareness, and preparedness for future health threats, including respiratory diseases. An initiative promoted and coordinated by Active Citizenship Network-Cittadinanzattiva, targeting senior representatives of patient advocacy groups (PAGs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) across EU Member States, gathered perspectives on COVID-19, vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases (VPRDs), health system resilience, and EU institutional roles.
2. The content of the collaborative Call-to-Action: “Towards the Development of an EU Respiratory Health Plan”, drafted by the EU Working Group on Respiratory Care, composed of invited selected patient advocacy groups, medical associations and leading experts to advocate for the prioritisation of respiratory care in EU health policy.

Participants will also be involved in the co-creation of the #CareForAll 2025 communication campaign, which will raise awareness among policymakers and the public, amplify the voices of patients and civil society, and reinforce the urgency of treating respiratory care as a top EU health priority.