International Respiratory Societies Unite on World Bronchiectasis Day 2025 to Urge Global Awareness and Collaboration
This Rare Lung Disease Is Increasing; Members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies Unite to Improve Early Detection
July 1, 2025
According to the
2022 Global Impact of Respiratory Disease Report, the global presence of noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis ranges from
67 to 566 per 100,000 inhabitants in Europe and North America and from
1,200 per 100,000 inhabitants in China in those aged 40 or older.
In support of World Bronchiectasis Day, July 1, the Forum of
International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American
College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) is a founding member, is calling
attention to the growing burden of this lesser-known chronic lung
disease and the urgent need for increased awareness, diagnosis, and
coordinated care.
Bronchiectasis is a lung disease that affects hundreds of thousands of
children and adults worldwide. With this chronic illness, the airways
become enlarged or scarred, making it difficult to clear mucus properly,
leading to recurring lung infections and
affecting daily life. Unmanaged, bronchiectasis can lead to accelerated lung function loss,
resulting in long-term disability and premature death. The disease can
occur at any age, though most people are diagnosed later in life.
Although there is currently no cure, detecting and treating
bronchiectasis early can improve quality of life and long-term health.
While bronchiectasis is often referred to as a rare disease, its
occurrence is increasing globally. In children, especially those in poor
communities, bronchiectasis may occur following a lower respiratory
tract infection or pneumonia such as whooping cough or viral infection.
"Bronchiectasis continues to be a widely misunderstood and
underdiagnosed respiratory disease, affecting individuals around the
world,” said Guy Marks, President of FIRS. “As global leaders in
respiratory health, World Bronchiectasis Day is an opportunity for us to
spotlight this chronic lung disease and the people it impacts. We stand
together to advocate for better care of pathways, patient education, and
research funding."
Celebrated annually on July 1, World Bronchiectasis Day aims to unite
health care providers, researchers, patients, and advocacy organizations
in a shared mission: to improve early detection, foster research into
the causes and treatments of bronchiectasis, and ensure that patients
across all regions have access to comprehensive, multidisciplinary care.
The 2025 World Bronchiectasis Day campaign emphasizes the importance of
cross-border collaboration, particularly in regions where bronchiectasis
is underreported and underdiagnosed or health care systems face barriers
to early diagnosis and long-term management.
About the American College of Chest Physicians
The American College of Chest Physicians® (CHEST) is the global leader in
the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases. Its mission
is to champion the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest
diseases through education, communication, and research. It serves as an
essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 18,000+
members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary,
critical care, and sleep medicine. For information about the American
College of Chest Physicians and its family of journals, including the
flagship journal CHEST®,
visit chestnet.org.
About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies
(FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international
respiratory societies working together to improve lung health
globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve
lung health through the combined work of its more than 100,000 members
globally.
FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST),
American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of
Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax (ALAT), European
Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and
Lung Disease (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), the
Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for
Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).