World Lung Day 2026: A Lifetime of Lung Health

 

Take a moment to think about the last time you thought about your lungs.

Probably when you had a cough. Or felt short of breath. Maybe when you had a chest infection. For most of us, the lungs are something we rarely think about because they simply do their job, every minute of every day.

We take a breath without thinking about it. Then another. And another.

But healthy lungs are not something we should only think about when something goes wrong.

This is the idea behind World Lung Day 2026, observed on September 25 with the theme “A Lifetime of Lung Health.” The message is that protecting our lungs is a lifelong process. The health of our lungs is influenced by what we are exposed to as children, the air we breathe, the work we do, our habits and the healthcare we have access to.

What threatens our lungs?

When people think about lung disease, smoking is often the first thing that comes to mind. And for good reason.

Smoking and tobacco exposure

Tobacco remains one of the biggest threats to lung health. Smoking increases the risk of COPD, lung cancer and several other respiratory conditions. It also affects people who do not smoke through second-hand smoke.

But tobacco is not the only problem.

The air around us matters too.

Air pollution

Every day, we breathe in whatever is present in the air around us. In cities, this can include pollutants from traffic, industrial activity, construction, generators, waste burning and other sources.

Some pollutants are particularly concerning because their particles are small enough to travel deep into the lungs.

According to the World Health Organization, 99% of the world's population lived in places where air quality did not meet WHO guideline levels in 2019. The combined effects of household and outdoor air pollution are associated with approximately 7 million premature deaths every year.

In Nigeria, air pollution is a critical public health issue. High reliance on diesel and gasoline generators, outdated vehicles with subpar fuel standards, industrial emissions, and open waste burning create severe air quality challenges. In Lagos State alone, ambient air pollution caused an estimated economic loss of over $2 billion in 2018, representing around 2.1% of the state's GDP due to health impacts and lost productivity.

To address this crisis, important steps must be taken: we need stricter enforcement of vehicle emission standards, better regulation of industrial pollution, improved waste management to stop open burning, and a wider transition to clean energy and cooking fuels.

So when we talk about protecting our lungs, we cannot make the conversation entirely about individual choices. The quality of the environment matters.

The air inside our homes

Sometimes the air we breathe indoors can be just as important.

In many parts of the world, people still rely on fuels such as wood, charcoal, coal and kerosene for cooking. When these fuels are burned in poorly ventilated spaces, they can release smoke and harmful particles.

WHO estimates that around 2.1 billion people worldwide are exposed to household air pollution from polluting cooking fuels and technologies.

This exposure can contribute to respiratory disease, particularly among women and children who may spend considerable amounts of time around household cooking areas.

What happens at work?

For some people, the biggest respiratory risk is actually their workplace.

Construction workers may be exposed to dust. Factory workers may encounter fumes or chemicals. Miners can inhale mineral dust. Agricultural workers can be exposed to pesticides and other airborne substances.

Repeated exposure over many years can damage the lungs and contribute to conditions such as occupational asthma, COPD and pneumoconiosis.

This is why protecting lung health is not only about telling people to make healthier choices. Workplaces also need proper ventilation, exposure controls and appropriate protective equipment.

Childhood matters too

Lung health starts long before adulthood.

The lungs continue developing during childhood, which means that what happens during these early years can have consequences later in life.

Second-hand smoke, air pollution, poor nutrition and repeated respiratory infections can all affect respiratory health. Protecting children from these exposures is therefore an investment in their health decades into the future.

The Lung Diseases We Need to Know About

There are many conditions that can affect the lungs, but some are particularly important because of how common or serious they are.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways become inflamed and narrowed, causing symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing.

It can affect children and adults and may vary considerably from person to person.

The numbers are significant. WHO estimates that 363 million people were living with asthma globally in 2023, with about 442,000 deaths attributed to the disease that year.

The encouraging part is that asthma can usually be managed. With appropriate treatment and good control of triggers, many people with asthma can exercise, work, study and live completely active lives.

The important thing is recognising the condition and treating it appropriately.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD is another major lung disease. It causes persistent limitation of airflow and commonly presents with symptoms such as chronic cough, sputum production and breathlessness.

Smoking is a major cause, but it is not the only one. Long-term exposure to household smoke, air pollution and workplace dusts and chemicals can also contribute.

COPD caused approximately 3.4 million deaths worldwide in 2023, making it the third leading cause of death globally.

One misconception worth correcting is that breathlessness and reduced exercise tolerance are simply part of getting older.

They are not necessarily.

If someone who used to walk, climb stairs or perform daily activities comfortably is becoming progressively short of breath, that deserves medical attention.

Lung cancer

Lung cancer remains one of the major causes of cancer-related illness and death worldwide.

Smoking is the leading preventable risk factor, but exposure to second-hand smoke, air pollution and certain occupational substances can also increase risk.

Reducing tobacco use and exposure to carcinogens therefore remains an important part of lung cancer prevention.

Tuberculosis (TB)

When discussing lung health, we also have to consider infectious diseases. Tuberculosis is an airborne disease caused by bacteria that most often affect the lungs.

TB remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. According to the WHO, an estimated 10.8 million people fell ill with TB in 2023, making it the leading infectious disease killer once again. It resulted in 1.25 million deaths that year.

The disease disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, with Nigeria being one of the top high-burden nations. While TB is curable and preventable, challenges like significant funding shortages, drug-resistant strains, and catastrophic financial burdens on affected households continue to hinder global progress. Early diagnosis and completing the full, multi-month course of appropriate treatment remain critical to saving lives and stopping transmission.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs, which may fill with fluid or pus, making breathing painful and limiting oxygen intake.

It is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide. In 2019, pneumonia claimed the lives of 740,180 children under the age of 5, accounting for 14% of all deaths in that age group.

Several risk factors increase susceptibility. For children, a weakened immune system—often due to undernourishment, lack of exclusive breastfeeding, or pre-existing illnesses like HIV or measles—drastically raises the risk. Environmental factors play a huge role as well, including exposure to indoor air pollution from biomass fuels, parental smoking, and living in crowded conditions. Among adults, those aged 65 and older are at a significantly increased risk. Vaccination, adequate nutrition, and addressing environmental pollution are key strategies for prevention.

So, How Do We Actually Protect Our Lungs?

The good news is that there is quite a lot we can do.

Don't smoke

If you don't smoke, don't start.

If you smoke, quitting is one of the most important things you can do for your lungs. It is never too late to benefit from stopping.

And remember that protecting your lungs also means protecting the people around you from second-hand smoke.

Pay attention to the air you breathe

We cannot always control outdoor air quality, but we can make conscious choices about our exposure.

Avoid unnecessary exposure to smoke from burning waste, poorly ventilated cooking areas and other sources of heavy pollution where possible.

At a broader level, cleaner transport, better waste management and stronger air-quality policies are essential.

Make your home safer

Good ventilation matters, particularly when cooking.

Where possible, cleaner cooking fuels and technologies should be used instead of polluting fuels. This is particularly important in households where children are regularly exposed to cooking smoke.

Protect yourself at work

If your job involves dust, chemicals, fumes or other airborne hazards, take workplace respiratory protection seriously.

Personal protective equipment matters, but it should not be the only line of defence. Employers should also work to reduce exposure at its source.

Keep moving

Exercise is good for your overall health and helps maintain physical fitness and exercise capacity.

If you already have a respiratory condition, however, your exercise programme may need to be adapted to your condition. In some cases, pulmonary rehabilitation can be particularly helpful.

Don't ignore persistent symptoms

• A cough that doesn't go away.
• Repeated episodes of wheezing.
• Shortness of breath that is getting worse.
• Chest tightness.
• Coughing up blood.
• A noticeable decline in your ability to exercise or perform your normal activities.

These symptoms deserve attention.

Not every cough means something serious, but persistent or unexplained respiratory symptoms should not simply be dismissed as “the weather,” ageing or being out of shape.

Keep up with preventive healthcare

Vaccination where appropriate, infection prevention, early assessment of symptoms and proper management of existing conditions all contribute to healthier lungs.

And if you have a condition such as asthma or COPD, taking your medication correctly and attending follow-up appointments can make a significant difference.

Lung Health Is Bigger Than Smoking

One of the biggest misconceptions about lung health is that it is mainly a conversation about cigarettes.

It isn't.

• It is about the air a child breathes while growing up.
• It is about whether a family is cooking in a well-ventilated kitchen.
• It is about the air a commuter breathes every day.
• It is about the dust a construction worker inhales over decades.
• It is about whether someone with asthma can access the inhaler they need.
• It is about whether a person with persistent respiratory symptoms gets diagnosed early enough.

And it is about whether governments, communities, employers and healthcare systems create environments in which people can actually protect their health.

That is why “A Lifetime of Lung Health” is such a useful way of looking at respiratory health.

Our lungs are with us from our first breath to our last. We should therefore be thinking about how to protect them throughout that entire journey.

Every breath counts

We often don't appreciate something until we lose it.

Breathing should not have to become difficult before we start paying attention to our lungs.

This World Lung Day, the goal is not simply to remind people about lung disease. It is to encourage a different mindset: protect your lungs before they become damaged, recognise problems early, and make lung health part of your health at every stage of life.

Because every breath counts.

And healthy lungs are worth protecting for a lifetime.

 

References

Al-Dalfi, M. H. K., Al Ibraheem, S. A. H., & Al-Rubaye, A. K. Q. (2023). The severity of pneumonia and its association with socio-demographic factors among children under five years old in Wasit governorate hospitals, Iraq. Journal of Public Health in Africa, 14(7). https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2023.2674 Cited by: 18

Cortes, T. R., Silveira, I. H., de Oliveira, B. F. A., Bell, M. L., & Junger, W. L. (2023). Short-term association between ambient air pollution and cardio-respiratory mortality in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PLOS ONE, 18, e0281499. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281499 Cited by: 12

Croitoru, L., Chang, J. C., & Kelly, A. (2019). The Cost of Air Pollution in Lagos. World Bank, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.1596/33038 Cited by: 105

Gong, W., Gao, K., Shan, Z., Yang, L., Fang, P., Li, C., Yang, J., & Ni, J. (2024). Research progress of biomarkers in evaluating the severity and prognostic value of severe pneumonia in children. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1417644 Cited by: 28

Shin, Y. H., Hwang, J., Kwon, R., Lee, S. W., Kim, M. S., Shin, J. I., & Yon, D. K. (2023). Global, regional, and national burden of allergic disorders and their risk factors in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Allergy, 78, 2232-2254. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.15807 Cited by: 493

 

 

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