World Lung Day 2026

A Lifetime of Lung Health

On this World Lung Day, Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP) joins the global lung health community to champion a lifelong approach to respiratory well-being. This year, our community’s theme is “A Lifetime of Lung Health“. We are focusing on the message that our lung health isn’t static, but instead is a trajectory shaped by the choices we make and the conditions we face from before birth through older adulthood.

We are calling on our members, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to recognize that investing early protects lungs for a lifetime.

A a community, we can ensure that lung health is prioritized as a cornerstone of health equity worldwide.

 A lifetime of exposure and opportunity

Adult habits are just a fraction of what we need to discuss

Why is this year’s theme important?

The foundations of lifelong lung health are laid in the earliest years. A person’s lung function trajectory is heavily influenced by early-life factors.

We must move beyond the misconception that lung disease is solely the result of adult lifestyle choices. The science shows that:

We must move beyond the misconception that lung disease is solely the result of adult lifestyle choices.

The science shows that:

Prenatal and early childhood factors are critical

Maternal smoking, air pollution exposure, and poor nutrition during pregnancy affect fetal lung development and immune programming, strongly linking to reduced lung growth and higher asthma risk later in life (Stocks & Hislop, 2014; Veras et al., 2017).1 2

Childhood infections leave a lasting mark

Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumonia in early childhood can damage developing airways, increase airway reactivity, and impair lung growth, leading to persistent symptoms and impaired adult lung function (Brunwasser et al., 2020; Chan et al., 2015).3 4

Environmental exposures accumulate

Both outdoor pollutants (PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide) and indoor hazards (secondhand smoke, mold, dampness) are associated with reduced lung growth and asthma development (Zhang et al., 2022; Quansah et al., 2012)5 6. Furthermore, socioeconomic factors—such as poverty, crowded housing, and limited healthcare access—create chronic stress and increase exposure to these harms, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations (Koumpagioti et al., 2025).7

Nutrition and growth matter

Both outdoor pollutants (PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide) and indoor hazards (secondhand smoke, mold, dampness) are associated with reduced lung growth and asthma development (Zhang et al., 2022; Quansah et al., 2012). Furthermore, socioeconomic factors—such as poverty, crowded housing, and limited healthcare access—create chronic stress and increase exposure to these harms, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations (Koumpagioti et al., 2025).

Genes set the stage—the environment determines whether the play goes on

While genetics influence baseline lung capacity, epigenetic changes—caused by environmental exposures—can modify disease risk (Salam et al., 2018). 8

These factors affect not only childhood but also determine how an individual reaches their peak lung function in early adulthood and how quickly they decline later in life. A lower peak lung function significantly increases the risk of developing COPD, asthma, respiratory infections, and cardiovascular disease—even in people who never smoke. 9 10 11 12

Uniting for a lifetime of lung health

From awareness to advocacy: Take action today

What do we plan to do about it for World Lung Day?

GAAPP is committed to turning this evidence into action. We are asking our member organizations and the broader respiratory community to join us in advocating for policies and practices that support lung health at every stage of life.

We urge local governments to implement the immediate and urgent actions outlined in the recently approved the Integrated Lung Health Resolution which was adopted unanimously at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA), and further confirmed and detailed country by country at the United Nations Global Health Assembly (UNGHA).

Get involved

Engage and share

Help us spread the word that healthy lungs begin early and healthy choices last a lifetime. Share our social media content and use your voice to advocate for clean air, accessible healthcare, and improved social determinants of health.

INDIVIDUALS & COMMUNITIES

Use our Advocacy Tools in our Knowledge Hub

Use our actionable advocacy tools to ensure that your national government is accountable for what they signed in the Integrated Lung Health Resolution and is aligned with this year’s campaign priorities, such as supporting smoking cessation, reducing air pollution, promoting breastfeeding and adequate nutrition, and improving housing quality.

member organizations

Register for our Communications Grant

We have prepared a suite of social media assets based on this year’s “Lifetime of Lung Health” theme. We encourage you to apply for the grant and share these assets in your local languages to amplify this message.

member organizations

As a community, we can ensure that every person in the world has the opportunity to build strong lungs for life. Let’s work towards a future where a lifetime of lung health is a reality for all.

Communication grant for GAAPP Member Organizations

GAAPP has launched its communication grant for World Lung Day 2026.

A €200 grant is offered to help your organization publish this campaign’s social media posts from 20 September to 20 October. The toolkit—with step-by-step explanations—is available in several languages. If you need these assets in another language, please contact , and we will be happy to arrange that for you.

To apply for the grant and obtain the social media assets, please click on the button below:

Apply for the Communication Grant

With the generous support from:

And the overall support from our Corporate Council members:

GSK logo

  1. Stocks J, Hislop A. Early lung development: lifelong effect on respiratory health and disease. Lancet Respir Med. 2014.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29628377/ ↩︎
  2. Veras TN, et al. Prenatal air pollution and lung development. Cell Tissue Res. 2017.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27726025/ ↩︎
  3. Brunwasser SM, et al. RSV lower respiratory tract infections and subsequent wheezing illness: systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Respir Med. 2020. ↩︎
  4. Chan JY, et al. Pneumonia in childhood and impaired lung function in adults: a longitudinal study. Pediatrics. 2015.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34490723/ ↩︎
  5. Zhang W, et al. Particulate matter and lung function in children: systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Pollut. 2022.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35810981/ ↩︎
  6. Quansah R, et al. Residential dampness and molds and the risk of developing asthma: systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One.2012.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23144822/ ↩︎
  7. Koumpagioti D, et al. Social Determinants of Health in Pediatric Asthma and Allergic Diseases: A Systematic Review. Epidemiologia.2025.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40981087/ ↩︎
  8. Salam MT, et al. Role of epigenetics in the development of childhood asthma. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29389731/ ↩︎
  9. Henderson AJ, et al. Lung function trajectories from pre-school age to adulthood and their associations with early life factors. Lancet Respir Med. 2018.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29628377/ ↩︎
  10. Burke H, et al. Prenatal and passive smoke exposure and incidence of asthma and wheeze: systematic review and meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2012.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22430451/ ↩︎
  11. Chatkin JM, Menezes AMB. Nutrition and Lung Growth. Nutrients.2018.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30021997/ ↩︎
  12. Litonjua AA, et al. Breastfeeding and childhood asthma: systematic review and meta-analysis.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24727807/ ↩︎