Asthma and Respiratory Foundation joins GARD

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ is welcomed into the Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD)

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ announces today – 13 June 2018 – that it has been officially welcomed as part of the Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD). Giving New Zealand a seat at the table in terms of sharing the latest thinking and advocacy for action around chronic respiratory diseases.

GARD provides a network through which collaborating partner countries can combine their strengths and knowledge, thereby achieving results that no single partner could attain alone. Many countries are represented including USA, China and Canada. The World Health Organization has a dual role in the Alliance, providing technical leadership and secretariat support. The Global Alliance also aims to improve co-ordination between existing governmental and non-governmental programmes, which avoids duplication of efforts. GARD focuses on a number of areas including important issues such as surveillance of chronic respiratory diseases and risk factors, pediatric asthma and control of chronic respiratory diseases and drug accessibility.

Letitia O’Dwyer, CEO of Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, comments: “We are really pleased to be part of such a well-regarded organisation globally. It’s so important that countries work together on such issues, combining each other’s strengths and knowledge. I am excited to be part of their next meeting in August, and will be able to learn and share with other countries on a wide range of topics in the long term chronic respiratory diseases space.”

Letitia O’Dwyer will be attending the 12th GARD General Meeting at the end of August 2018 which will cover topics such as:

• An update on Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs)
• The global burden of Chronic Respiratory Diseases
• The tobacco end game
• Air pollution and health
• National Respiratory Programmes: How to make them work
• Integration of Respiratory Health into Primary Health Care
• Improving prevention and management of CRDs: 5 year Action plans of GARD countries and GARD members

Check out the latest GARD June newsletter http://gard-breathefreely.org/
For further information about the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ please visit www.asthmaandrespiratory.org.nz

ENDS

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