An international group of early career respiratory researchers have had their editorial on the ongoing underfunding of global respiratory research published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Australian respiratory physician and clinical researcher from Perth, Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan and his co-authors decided to write the paper after attending the European Respiratory Society conference in 2024.
The paper outlines that while diagnoses of respiratory diseases including COPD, asthma, lung cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) continues to increase, the investment in research for the conditions does not keep up.
“Respiratory illnesses disproportionately affect people from lower-income backgrounds who generally aren’t as visible to advocacy and funding circles,” Dr Ramakrishnan explains.
“The lingering stigma around smoking – despite many lung conditions being unrelated to tobacco use – has created a perception that these diseases are self-inflicted. This has led to a lack of empathy and urgency in research funding decisions.”
This lack of urgency, according to Dr Ramakrishnan and his co-authors, fails to consider that the burden of lung disease is comparable to or greater than other chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
“Despite growing factors leading to lung conditions like pollution, occupational hazards and non-smoking conditions they’re still often perceived as the consequence of personal choice,” he says.
“Unlike heart-related illnesses that carry deep emotional and symbolic meaning, we’ve not been able to evoke the same visceral reaction with the lungs. This disadvantages lung health including public engagement, funding and policy action.”
“It is time to reframe the lung’s narrative, strip away stigma, and bring respiratory health into the middle of mainstream conversation. Cardiologists made cardiovascular health compelling – it is up to us to make lung health attractive.“
Dr Ramakrishnan remains hopeful the tide can turn on lung health and the priority it is given in funding and research.
“I believe we can get to a point where there is equitable investment across chronic conditions that contribute to breakthroughs in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
“I want to see an environment where lung health is prioritised, early detection is routine and where innovative therapies are accessible to all – regardless of socioeconomic status.”
Achieving this relies on changing how we speak and think about lung conditions according to Dr Ramakrishnan.
“We need to emphasize that lung disease is not a moral failing. They are medical conditions that can affect anyone.
“We also need to share hope. We must explain better that we can do something about these conditions. Research will lead to breakthroughs that make these conditions continually more treatable and survivable.”
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