The sights, smells and tastes of the holiday season are everywhere I turn. I hope you, too, are ready for this special time filled with traditions. With the hustle & bustle of this season, we appreciate you taking the time to read this month’s newsletter and welcome our new GAAPP members.
One of my favorite December traditions is getting a new calendar & planning travel like the GAAPP Summit which will be held in Amsterdam in September and the GAAPP regional alliance meetings outlined below.
The GAAPP team will be taking a well-deserved break from December 16 to January 2. We wish you all the best as you celebrate and look forward to 2025 as we work together to create a world where those living with atopic & airways diseases live better!
All my best,
Tonya Winders
President 2017-2027
GAAPP News & Opportunities
Warm Seasonal Greetings from GAAPP!
As the year draws to a close, we at GAAPP would like to take this opportunity to extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones.
This season, no matter where you are in the world, is a time to reflect on the values that unite us: compassion, gratitude, and hope. It’s a moment to cherish the connections we share, celebrate achievements, and look forward to the opportunities ahead.
At GAAPP, we are immensely grateful for your support and dedication to improving the lives of those living with allergy, airways or atopic conditions. Together, we’ve made incredible strides in advocacy, education, research and awareness, and overall support this year. We look forward to continuing this journey with you in the year to come.
May this season bring you peace, joy, and good health. Here’s to a brighter and healthier future for all.
Warm regards,
The GAAPP Team
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We Can’t Wait to See You in Person!
We are thrilled to announce that preparations are in full swing for GAAPP events in 2025! These gatherings are always a highlight of the year, offering us the chance to connect, collaborate, and strengthen our mission.
Mark Your Calendars & Plan Ahead!
We truly value the presence of every one of our members and partners, and we want to ensure that travel arrangements are smooth for everyone.
With this in mind, we encourage you to start thinking about what may be required to join us, including visa applications and any travel documentation.
Here’s how GAAPP will support you:
Travel Assistance: GAAPP will provide travel grants for the events.
Accommodation: We’ll provide hotel accommodation for the duration of the event.
Guidance: Need help with the visa process? Let us know, and we’ll assist wherever possible.
Why It’s Important to Start Early:
Visa processes can sometimes take longer than expected, depending on your location. For example, if you are planning to attend our GAAPP Summit in Amsterdam, Visas to European countries can take up to 3 months to be processed. Starting early ensures everything is ready in time, so you don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to connect with the global GAAPP community in person.
We cannot wait to see all of you face-to-face!
Advancing Post-Pandemic Public Health: Key Takeaways from Our Roundtable
We recently engaged in a roundtable with advocacy leaders from Europe, Canada, and Japan to release a policy paper on sustainable public health management of COVID-19 in the post-pandemic phase.
Key discussions focused on establishing national vaccination schedules for at-risk groups to ensure equitable access.
And also strengthening communication between health authorities, providers, and patients to support COVID-19 prevention, mitigation, and treatment.
This collaborative effort aims to protect patients at higher risk, including those with chronic respiratory conditions and weakened immune systems.
For more information, you can access the full paper here!
Together, we’re shaping a healthier future.
ICAN – Young Researchers Forum
GAAPP will co-host the International Collaborative Airways Network (ICAN 3) meeting on May 15-16, 2025, in San Francisco, CA.
This two-day event highlights the work of early investigators in chronic airway diseases who are seeking novel approaches to topics like environment, genetics, nonT2 pathways, etc.
We will soon update our website with the ICAN3 announcement and open abstract submission site in early January so stay tuned at https://ican.gaapp.org/!
Get Involved
We’re listening to you!
If you’re an adult in the US, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland, Serbia, Malta, or Ukraine we hope you are willing to answer a few questions about the mental health impact of living with chronic atopic and/or airways diseases-your insights are invaluable.
Join our survey and contribute to developing better educational materials for patients and providers.
Be Part of an Innovative COPD Research Project! Our member organization – Longfonds and Dr. Sami Simons from Maastricht University are developing a cutting-edge app to help predict lung attacks for people with COPD. This could be a game-changer in managing the condition and improving lives worldwide.
The study is available in six languages: English, Dutch, German, Spanish, French, and Polish.
