EB156(19)

Noting with deep concern that, in 2021, communicable and noncommunicable lung diseases, including coronavirus disease (COVID-19), were among the leading causes of mortality, causing more than 18 million deaths globally;

Recognizing the critical importance of addressing both communicable and noncommunicable diseases that affect the lungs, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma and lung cancer, 3 and the need to strengthen primary healthcare in the context of an integrated approach towards attainment of universal health coverage; and acknowledging that pulmonary diseases and other noncommunicable diseases often share the same risk factors, requiring a horizontal preventive approach;

Stressing the importance of comprehensive infection prevention and control measures to reduce the risk of transmission of tuberculosis, COVID-19, pneumonia, and other airborne infectious diseases, particularly in high-burden, low-income settings, and recognizing the critical role of addressing risk factors and determinants, including poor and crowded living conditions, poor ventilation and others;

Acknowledging indoor and outdoor air pollution, whose root cause is predominantly socioeconomic in nature, 4 and its linkage with social and environmental determinants of health as one of the leading risk factors for lung diseases, 5 especially in developing countries that are disproportionately impacted, as well as the need for multisectoral engagement and action to promote lung health, prevent new cases of disease and reduce exacerbations of respiratory conditions;

Recognizing that radon exposure is one of the leading causes of lung cancer after smoking in countries with known data, and acknowledging the lack of prevention and mitigating actions for radon exposure, as well as limited public awareness concerning radon risks;

Re-emphasizing that over 45% of tobacco-related deaths are due to lung diseases, totalling 3.3 million deaths in 2021, 6 and acknowledging that exposure to second-hand smoke causes cancer and that vaping aerosols can be harmful to lung health, which underscores the importance of primary care services for prevention of tobacco smoking, particularly tobacco and vaping control;

Noting the substantial contribution of workplace exposures to the burden of both infectious and chronic respiratory diseases;

Acknowledging the impact of stigma associated with lung cancer, tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on access to early detection and access to treatment, noting advances in lung screening and its effectiveness in reducing mortality rates in high‑risk populations; 7, 8

Recalling United Nations General Assembly resolution 74/2 (2019) and its commitment to strengthen efforts to address noncommunicable diseases as part of universal health coverage, the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, 9 the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non‑communicable diseases of 2018, 10 which reaffirms the primary role and responsibility of governments in responding to the challenge of noncommunicable diseases by developing adequate national multisectoral and participative responses for their prevention and control, and the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health (2011), considering that health inequalities are an important aspect for respiratory diseases;

Recognizing resolution WHA72.2 (2019) on primary health care, in which the Health Assembly urged Member States to implement the commitments of the Declaration of Astana, resolution WHA60.26 (2007) on workers' health: global plan of action, through which Member States were urged to work towards full coverage of all workers with essential interventions and basic occupational health services for primary prevention of occupational and work‑related diseases and injuries, and the significant progress in implementing WHO's global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020, endorsed by the Health Assembly in resolution WHA66.10 (2013), including the 2022 update of Appendix 3 to that global action plan, endorsed by the Health Assembly in decision WHA76(9) (2023), and the adoption of the related implementation roadmap 2023–2030 through decision WHA75(11) (2022), as well as the WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change, noted through decision WHA72(9) (2019), resolution WHA68.8 (2015), entitled “Health and the environment: addressing the health impact of air pollution” and its roadmap, welcomed by the Health Assembly in decision WHA69(11) (2016), and resolution WHA70.12 (2017) on cancer prevention and control in the context of an integrated approach;

Recalling resolution WHA71.3 (2018) on preparation for a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on ending tuberculosis, which reaffirmed commitment to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030, and the resulting political declaration of the high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis (2023), 11 as well as resolution WHA67.1 (2014) on the global strategy and targets for tuberculosis prevention, care and control after 2015, which set ambitious targets for reducing tuberculosis incidence and mortality; and emphasizing the importance of the WHO multisectoral accountability framework for tuberculosis to enable universal access to good-quality services, and to address all determinants and drivers of tuberculosis, such as poverty, inequalities, undernutrition, HIV infection, noncommunicable diseases, inadequate housing and living conditions, as an integral part of the universal health coverage agenda, including in the context of health and humanitarian emergencies;

Recalling also resolution WHA76.5 (2023) on strengthening diagnostics capacity, resolution WHA72.8 (2019) on improving the transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines, and other health products, the global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property, adopted by the Health Assembly through resolution WHA61.21 (2008) and resolution WHA67.22 (2014) on access to essential medicines;

Reaffirming resolution WHA73.1 (2020) on COVID-19 response, which emphasized the need for equitable access to quality, safe, efficacious, effective and affordable diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines for the COVID-19 response consistent with the provisions of relevant international treaties, including the provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) and the flexibilities within the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health;

Noting resolution WHA72.6 (2019) on global action on patient safety, which is crucial in the management of both communicable and noncommunicable lung diseases;

Recalling the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and reaffirming the principles of primary healthcare as the basis for strengthening health systems;