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Events and Blogs
Upcoming Event
Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) in India
10 July 2026 | New Delhi, India
In partnership with HRIDAY and the Healthy India Alliance (India NCD Alliance), the Pace Center for Global Health is co-organising a high-level multi-stakeholder roundtable to advance the chronic respiratory disease (CRD) agenda in India. Bringing together clinicians, researchers, civil society organisations, youth advocates, media professionals, and people living with CRDs, this full-day convening will catalyse the collaborative action needed to address one of India’s most pressing, and underrecognised, public health challenges.
Held under the theme “Elevating CRDs in India: Catalyzing Action through Innovation, Community Engagement and Partnerships,” the roundtable will explore scalable solutions for CRD prevention, treatment, and management; pathways for meaningful community engagement; and opportunities for multi-sectoral collaboration. Mr. José Luis Castro, WHO Director-General Special Envoy for Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Director of the Pace Center for Global Health, will deliver a global perspective on integrated respiratory health. He will be joined by Dr. Sonia Suchday, University Director of Research and Graduate Education and Director of Operations at the Pace Center for Global Health, alongside Dr. Randeep Guleria representing the Indian Chest Society and Dr. Monika Arora of HRIDAY and the Public Health Foundation of India, among other distinguished speakers.
Participants will engage in panel discussions on the roles of communities, youth, and media in amplifying CRD action, as well as sessions showcasing innovative, scalable approaches from leading institutions including AIIMS New Delhi, Christian Medical College Vellore, and the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG). The day will conclude with reflections on key priorities and inputs to shape a roadmap for advancing the CRD agenda across India.
Please stay tuned for more updates.
Recent Events
José Luis Castro Addresses the Need for Change in Chronic Respiratory Disease at the EUFOREA Prevention Summit
On June 19, 2026, José Luis Castro, WHO Director-General's Special Envoy for Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Director of the Pace Center for Global Health, delivered a keynote address at the EUFOREA Prevention Summit at the Royal Academy of Medicine in London, United Kingdom.
Speaking to an audience of international health leaders, clinicians, and policymakers, Castro called for a fundamental shift in how the global health community approaches chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), emphasizing prevention, equity, and earlier intervention.
Drawing on London's history of public health innovation, he highlighted the importance of addressing the root causes of respiratory disease, including air pollution, tobacco use, occupational exposures, and environmental factors. He stressed that respiratory health begins long before a patient enters a healthcare facility and that protecting lung health is essential to promoting healthy aging and improving quality of life.
Castro outlined five priorities for advancing global respiratory health: strengthening prevention across the lifespan, expanding access to diagnosis and treatment, integrating respiratory care into primary health care and universal health coverage, investing in research and innovation, and elevating respiratory health on the global political agenda.
He also emphasized the growing potential of artificial intelligence, genomics, biomarker science, and digital health to enable earlier prediction and prevention of disease while underscoring that innovation must advance health equity.
Concluding his remarks, Castro called for collective action to ensure that prevention, clean air, strong primary care systems, and equitable access to care remain at the center of efforts to improve respiratory health worldwide.
José Luis Castro Participates in High-Level Global Health Discussions During the 79th World Health Assembly
During the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, José Luis Castro, WHO Special Envoy for Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Founding Director of the Pace Center for Global Health, participated in multiple international discussions focused on respiratory health, climate change, health equity, and prevention-oriented health systems.
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At the panel discussion hosted by Foreign Policy, titled “Improving Policy Through Evidence: The Environment-Health Connection,” global leaders and policy experts examined how environmental conditions are increasingly shaping public health outcomes worldwide. The session featured Sandrine Bouttier-Stref, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Sanofi; Dr. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Climate Change and Health Unit Lead at the World Health Organization; José Luis Castro; and Ambassador Dr. Burak Akçapar, Permanent Representative of Türkiye to the UN Office in Geneva. The discussion was moderated by Allison Carlson, Executive Vice President at Foreign Policy.
The conversation highlighted the growing need for evidence-based policies that recognize the direct connection between environmental conditions and long-term health outcomes, particularly for chronic respiratory diseases. During the session, José Luis Castro emphasized the importance of moving beyond siloed approaches to health policy and addressing the environmental and social determinants shaping health globally. Discussions also focused on the impact of rising temperatures, worsening air pollution, wildfires, and environmental exposures on asthma, COPD, and other chronic respiratory diseases, especially among vulnerable populations.
Devex Discussion on Lung Health, Climate, and Health Equity
The event, sponsored by Sanofi and Regeneron, featured José Luis Castro alongside the Minister of Health of Guyana and other international leaders. The discussion focused on the urgent need to integrate chronic respiratory diseases into broader climate, development, and public health agendas.
Throughout the session, panelists highlighted how rising temperatures, worsening air pollution, wildfire exposure, and household energy pollution are intensifying the burden of asthma, COPD, and other chronic respiratory diseases worldwide, particularly among vulnerable populations.
José Luis Castro emphasized that chronic respiratory diseases can no longer be treated as isolated health conditions, underscoring the need for prevention-focused systems and stronger cross-sector collaboration between health, environmental, and policy sectors.
Earlier Diagnosis and Integrated Respiratory Care
At another panel session at the 79th WHA, José Luis Castro joined the Minister of Health of Malaysia and other global health leaders to address one of the major challenges in respiratory health today: delayed diagnosis and fragmented systems of care.
The conversation focused on how millions of people living with asthma, COPD, and other chronic respiratory diseases continue to be diagnosed far too late, often only after significant and irreversible lung damage has already occurred.
Across all the discussions José Luis Castro participated in during the 79th World Health Assembly, the message remained consistent: chronic respiratory diseases can no longer be treated as isolated health conditions. Addressing the growing burden of asthma, COPD, and other respiratory diseases will require integrated, prevention-oriented approaches that connect health systems with climate policy, clean air initiatives, primary healthcare, and health equity efforts. The discussions collectively emphasized that earlier diagnosis, cleaner environments, and stronger cross-sector collaboration must become central priorities in improving respiratory health outcomes globally.
Past Events
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March 2–6, 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa
In partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pace Center for Global Health hosted a specialized media training workshop aimed at increasing the quality and breadth of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) media coverage globally. Bringing together regional and international journalists, this five-day program led by WHO Director-General and Special Envoy for CRDs - José Luis Castro - provided specialized training, epidemiological data analysis, and direct access to leading public health experts and affected communities.
The workshop was designed to deepen participants' understanding of asthma, COPD, tobacco control, and the impact of air pollution. Through interactive expert roundtables and immersive field visits to local healthcare facilities, including the Pediatric Asthma Centre at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and the Masiphumelele Clinic, journalists were equipped with knowledge and trained on using the tools necessary to report effectively on CRDs. This initiative was aimed at raising public awareness, reduce stigma, and call for policies that improve health outcomes.
Visit Elevating Lung Health in South Africa to learn more.
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February 4, 2026 | (Delhi, India)
As a part of its ongoing global advocacy efforts, the Pace Center for Global Health co-hosted a high-level Planning and Brainstorming Meeting to elevate Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) on India's national health agenda. Convened by the WHO Director-General and Special Envoy for CRDs in collaboration with Pace University, HRIDAY, and the Healthy India Alliance (India NCD Alliance), the strategic session brought together leading medical experts, researchers, and civil society partners.
The dialogue focused on translating recent global commitments, including UN and World Health Assembly resolutions on lung health, into actionable local policy. Participants tackled systemic gaps in primary healthcare, emphasizing the urgent need for improved early diagnosis, front-line healthcare worker training, and targeted strategies to combat the societal stigma surrounding respiratory illnesses. The group also explored environmental intersections, such as the severe impacts of household air pollution and climate change, while highlighting innovative, technology-driven screening solutions.
Looking ahead, partners proposed the formation of a National Task Force on CRDs and the development of a standardized "Lung Health Package" for primary care workers. The consortium is now building towards a major national milestone event aligned with World COPD Day in November 2026, which will showcase India's comprehensive roadmap for addressing CRDs.
Blogs
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