The Union

Why participate?

About The Union World Conference on Lung Health

The Union World Conference on Lung Health is the world’s largest gathering of clinicians and public health workers, health programme managers, researchers and advocates working to end the suffering caused by lung disease, with a focus specifically on the challenges faced by the low- and middle-income countries. Of the 10 million people who die each year from lung diseases, some 80% live in these resource-limited countries.

Our theme this year, A New Agenda: Lung Health Beyond 2015, reflects the changing landscape of global public health, and the new era of action that
 we will embark on together as 
the Millennium Development Goals end 
and focus shifts to the new Sustainable Development Goals.

Who attends

The Union World Conference attracts public health professionals and policy-makers from more than 125 countries and brings recognised global experts and opinion leaders to lead sessions from large plenaries to intimate meet-the-expert discussions.

The scientific programme

The five-day scientific programme will offer presenters from 65 countries, participating in more than 150 sessions, including: 

  • Global TB symposium organised by the World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Plenary sessions
  • Post-graduate courses
  • Workshops 
  • Over 50 symposia
  • Oral abstract sessions
  • Poster discussion sessions
  • E-poster sessions
  • ‘Meet the expert’ sessions

Principal topics and issues:

  • TB and lung diseases in children and adults
  • Clinical management of TB, HIV and non-communicable diseases
  • Advances in drugs, vaccines and diagnostic methods
  • Airborne infections
  • Global tobacco control
  • Smoking cessation 
  • Effect of air pollution on lung health
  • Patient-centred care and behavioural research
  • Services for vulnerable populations
  • Advocacy for lung health

The structure of the programme also offers ample opportunities for networking and sharing challenges and solutions.