Represented by its President, Sylvère NIBARUTA, AB3D joined advocates in Nairobi on 10–11 October 2026 to explore how international commitments on lung health can translate into action across Africa.
Improving lung health requires coordinated action across public policy, healthcare and community life. This challenge brought AB3D to the conference “The World’s First Lung Health Resolution: Mobilising a Network of Advocates in Africa,” organised in Nairobi, Kenya, by the European Respiratory Society (ERS), together with the Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS) and regional partners.
The meeting brought together health experts, policymakers, healthcare professionals and civil society advocates to discuss prevention, early detection, access to care and the partnerships needed to advance respiratory health. For AB3D, it provided an opportunity to connect these discussions with its experience of community mobilisation and inclusive participation in Burundi.
Connecting environmental protection and respiratory health
Environmental risks and climate change featured prominently in the conference discussions, alongside tobacco and nicotine control. Participants examined the challenges of translating policy ambitions into enforceable measures and strengthening public awareness.
These themes resonate with AB3D’s work on climate action and community resilience. They also underline the value of connecting environmental advocacy with practical health information: helping communities understand risks, discuss the conditions affecting their wellbeing and engage with institutions responsible for responding.
For AB3D, an inclusive approach means ensuring that young people, women and underserved communities can contribute to identifying priorities and shaping local responses.
Making health information accessible
The conference also addressed barriers to early diagnosis and treatment, including limited awareness, insufficient training and difficulties accessing services. Language emerged as a significant concern: participants highlighted that some respiratory diseases lack familiar names in local languages, making communication and care-seeking more difficult.
This issue is particularly relevant to AB3D’s interest in making health information accessible in Burundi. Communication in French and Kirundi, supported by clear explanations and locally appropriate examples, could help connect international discussions with everyday community concerns.
Community radio offers another potential channel. Programmes involving health professionals, community representatives and listeners could create space for questions, address misconceptions and explain when and where to seek care.
Building on the FatherFirst experience
AB3D’s FatherFirst initiative provides a practical foundation for reflecting on community engagement in health. Through facilitated discussions, engagement with fathers and mobile communication, the initiative has worked to strengthen men’s involvement in child health and immunisation.
While respiratory health would require specific technical expertise and partnerships, this experience offers useful approaches to engaging families, encouraging dialogue and making health messages easier to understand.
A future initiative could explore how these methods might support lung health awareness, with materials reviewed by qualified health professionals and adapted to the communities concerned. Such work would need to connect awareness activities with available health services.
Coalitions that connect expertise and community priorities
The conference’s capacity-building discussions reinforced the importance of coalitions capable of sustaining advocacy and supporting implementation.
For AB3D, effective collaboration would bring together complementary contributions: clinical expertise from health professionals, policy leadership from public institutions, communication capacity from the media, and local knowledge from community organisations and patients.
Youth and grassroots organisations can help these partnerships remain connected to people’s concerns. Their contribution includes identifying information gaps, facilitating participation and bringing community perspectives into policy discussions.
Exploring opportunities for action in Burundi
Following its participation in Nairobi, AB3D sees opportunities to explore partnerships around accessible health communication, community radio and dialogue on environmental risks and respiratory wellbeing.
These remain areas for further development with relevant partners. Any initiative would require a clear assessment of local needs, technical guidance and coordination with health stakeholders.
AB3D thanks ERS and its partners for supporting its participation and creating space for exchange among advocates across Africa. The Nairobi discussions strengthened the organisation’s interest in contributing its community engagement experience to collaborative efforts for better lung health in Burundi.
Read the ERS conference recap and see AB3D’s Facebook publication.