{"id":7286,"date":"2026-09-02T15:17:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T13:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha1-deutschland.org\/?p=7286"},"modified":"2026-09-22T15:12:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T13:12:31","slug":"das-jahrzehnt-der-lunge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha1-deutschland.org\/en\/das-jahrzehnt-der-lunge","title":{"rendered":"The Decade of the Lungs: For lung health in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Author<\/h4><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n
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Marion Wilkens, as appeared in Alpha1 Journal 1\/2026<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Lung health should finally be on the health policy agenda \u2013 and patients are at the forefront. With the Decade of the Lung, those affected, together with doctors and scientists, are actively participating in political debates and bringing their experiences directly to the table, instead of merely being the subject of decisions.<\/p>\n

Chronic lung and respiratory diseases affect millions of people in Germany \u2013 yet they still don't receive much attention in health policy. This is precisely where the Decade of the Lung association comes in: an interdisciplinary network of doctors, scientists, and patients who want to finally give lung health the priority it deserves.<\/p>\n

An underestimated health problem<\/span><\/h2>\n

Over 14 million people in Germany suffer from chronic lung and respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, or pulmonary hypertension \u2013 around 16 percent of the population.1<\/sup> They are among the most common causes of death and cause an enormous burden of disease: In 2023 alone, the direct costs for asthma and COPD exceeded 7 billion euros.2<\/sup> At the same time, the number of affected people is increasing: between 2010 and 2019 by about 17 percent for asthma and up to 45 percent for pulmonary hypertension.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

In addition, there are several tens of thousands of people with rarer lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.4<\/sup>, bronchiectasis5<\/sup> or the genetically determined alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency6<\/sup> \u2013 Diseases whose case numbers are sometimes rising sharply, but diagnoses are often made late or not at all.7<\/sup>. Especially in the case of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a high number of undiagnosed cases is assumed. The actual need for treatment is likely to be significantly higher than official figures suggest.8<\/sup><\/p>\n

Despite these dimensions, a comprehensive health policy strategy to address chronic lung diseases in a structured manner is still lacking.<\/p>\n

National Action Plan for Lungs <\/span><\/h2>\n

Therefore, the Decade of the Lung advocates for a National Action Plan for the Lung. The goal is to strategically bundle key measures and anchor them in the long term.<\/p>\n