Respiratory disease is one of the top three killers in Northern Ireland with 1 in 5 people have been diagnosed with a lung condition at some point in their lives.
Lung disease in Northern Ireland costs over £250 million, making it the fourth most costly disease area.
Key stats
Asthma: In Northern Ireland, around 126,000 people are currently receiving treatment; including 36,000 children.
COPD: 41,000 people diagnosed with COPD in Northern Ireland.
IPF: 1,000 people living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Northern Ireland.
Bronchiectasis: estimated that around 1 in every 1,000 adults in Northern Ireland have the condition.
OSA: estimated to be at least 13% of adult men and 6% of adult women living with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.
Air pollution: Around 800 people in Northern Ireland die early every year due to dirty air.
Our work
We are campaigning for lung health to be treated as an Executive priority and fight for a Northern Ireland where everyone can breathe clean air with healthy lungs.
We raise the profile of lung conditions in Stormont and lead the All Party Group for Lung Health. This provides a platform for MSs from all political parties to discuss issues relating to asthma and to ensure government policies work to improve care and services for people with asthma.
We are working with MLAs and other charities to build the case for a new Clean Air strategy and new legislation to limit air pollution and give us all the right to breathe.
We work with Cancer Focus NI, BHF NI and other partners to campaign for more investment in smoking cessation and further restrictions to keep young people safe from tobacco. We are calling for a new Tobacco strategy that would aim for less than 5% of people smoking by the mid 2030s.
We have championed a regional programme for lung screening to be delivered across Northern Ireland.
We are working with MLAs, officials, health care professionals and people with lung conditions to make the case for a much needed new Lung Health strategy based on the success of the Taskforce for Lung Health. Respiratory services were under resourced before COVID and now need a new strategy and funding to give people the treatment and support they need.
We are working with the physiotherapy community to champion the right to rehabilitation so that everyone with lung conditions has the right to some form of pulmonary rehabilitation when they need it.
News & updates
Check out our new manifesto Fighting for Northern Ireland's Right to Breathe and take our pledges.
Use Air Pollution Exposure in Northern Ireland dashboard to explore the level of outdoor air pollution in Northern Ireland.
Can you join our panel to help improve your local healthcare services?
Come join a virtual panel of volunteers with lung conditions. You can help shape our work with the Northern Ireland Executive and give us the perspective of what people with your condition need. The patient panel includes people living with asthma, bronchiectasis, COPD, ILD, sleep apnoea, carers, and some rarer lung conditions. Patient voices are so important to improve care.
If you are interested in being involved in providing feedback on local healthcare services, why not find out more about the patient panel? Please email NorthernIreland@asthmaandlung.org.uk
You can also get in touch with our Northern Ireland team by calling 0300 222 5800. Or follow us on twitter @asthmalungni.