World Lung Day 2025: Healthy Lungs, Healthy Life
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies Marks World Lung Day With Global Lung Health Campaigns and Practical Tips for Everyone
September 22, 2025
GLENVIEW, IL — This World Lung Day, September 25, 2025, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) is a founding member, is urging people everywhere to protect their lung health every day.
Under the theme Healthy Lungs, Healthy Life, FIRS is highlighting practical steps individuals and communities can take—and highlighting two global initiatives that are transforming how lung diseases are diagnosed and treated.
FIRS President Professor Guy Marks said, “Healthy lungs are essential to healthy life. This World Lung Day, we are calling for action on two fronts. First, at an individual and community level by urging people to take practical steps to protect their lungs every day. Second, through systemic change with two new global initiatives: the global Lung Health Taskforce—which sets out a road map to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment—and the Increasing Access to Inhaled Medicines campaign. Together, these initiatives aim to transform respiratory care, so no one is left behind.”
Two campaigns for change
FIRS is leading two global campaigns in respiratory care.
The first, the FIRS Lung Health Taskforce aims to redefine how lung health is assessed, considering the biological and social factors which influence lung function throughout life. Central to this campaign is the development of a Spirometry Toolkit to provide clinicians with a global standard to measure lung health. Work is also underway on a Lung Health Index to enable more precise and equitable lung health assessments.
The second campaign focuses on Increasing Access to Inhaled Medicines. Recognizing the massive burden of COPD and asthma, particularly in low-resource, high-burden settings, FIRS is leading efforts to make affordable inhaled medicines widely available. This campaign will engage governments, United Nations agencies, industry, and civil society to accelerate action. With just five years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, urgent progress is essential to save lives and reduce disability.
While these campaigns focus on systemic improvements in lung health worldwide, everyone can take simple steps to look after their own lungs every day.
Protect your lungs every day
FIRS encourages everyone to take these simple steps to protect their lungs:
- Breathe Clean Air - Avoid polluted areas, and support clean air policies.
- Be Smoke-Free - Quit smoking, and avoid secondhand smoke.
- Take the Active Option - Regular exercise supports lung function.
- Vaccinate - Protect against flu, pneumonia, and COVID-19.
- Fight Climate Change - Support actions to reduce greenhouse gases.
- Eat Well - A balanced diet supports overall respiratory health.
On World Lung Day, FIRS calls on the global respiratory community, health care professionals, policymakers, and individuals to join forces for healthier lungs and healthier lives.
Join the conversation
- FIRS World Lung Day Webinar, Redefining Lung Health: 1 p.m. BST, September 25, 2025, chaired by the President of FIRS Professor Guy Marks.
Engage with global experts on pressing issues affecting lung health and the need for global standardization and advocacy. Register here.
- World Lung Day 2025: FIRS is dedicated to promoting healthy lungs and healthy lives for everyone, everywhere. Join more than 250 FIRS members and World Lung Day partners to raise awareness of lung health on September 25. Discover more here.
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 CHEST 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 a collaborative organization consisting of the world's foremost international respiratory societies. Comprising more than 100,000 members globally, FIRS is dedicated to advancing lung health on a global scale.
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).