ATS is a founding member of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organization comprised of the world’s leading international professional respiratory societies presenting a unifying voice to improve lung health globally.
The mission of FIRS is to promote respiratory health worldwide. It does this in a complementary way to its own organizations through advocacy and by working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other global organizations representing the respiratory community.
FIRS is concerned with all factors relating to lung health but particularly those affecting the most people globally and ones that can provide the greatest improvement to respiratory health. It endorses the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the functions and activity of the WHO, and many other organizations working to improve lung health.
FIRS’ major activity is global advocacy especially in preventing diseases cause by tobacco products and air pollution. A major goal is to alert the world to the importance of lung health and the global impact of respiratory disease.
Working with eight other society members, we collaborate on global health awareness days like #WorldLungDay (Sept 25).