Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ announced on 13 June 2018, that it has been officially welcomed as part of the Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD). Giving New Zealand a seat at the table in terms of sharing the latest thinking and advocacy for action around chronic respiratory diseases.
GARD provides a network through which collaborating partner countries can combine their strengths and knowledge, thereby achieving results that no single partner could attain alone. Many countries are represented including USA, China and Canada. The World Health Organization has a dual role in the Alliance, providing technical leadership and secretariat support. The Global Alliance also aims to improve co-ordination between existing governmental and non-governmental programmes, which avoids duplication of efforts. GARD focuses on a number of areas including important issues such as surveillance of chronic respiratory diseases and risk factors, pediatric asthma and control of chronic respiratory diseases and drug accessibility.
Letitia Harding, CEO of Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, comments:
We are really pleased to be part of such a well-regarded organisation globally. It’s so important that countries work together on such issues, combining each other’s strengths and knowledge. I am excited to be part of their next meeting in August, and will be able to learn and share with other countries on a wide range of topics in the long term chronic respiratory diseases space.
Letitia Harding will be attending the 12th GARD General Meeting at the end of August 2018 which will cover topics such as:
Check out the latest GARD June newsletter http://gard-breathefreely.org/
