Who We Are
Who is responsible for the Respiratory Health Initiative?
The Respiratory Health Initiative was independently developed by the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies and is validated by an external independent Steering Committee of experts in the respiratory and health policy spaces.
The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies was founded as an independent, non-profit think tank in Denmark in 1969. Today the Institute is a global entity, working for and with public, private, and academic organisations around the world. The Institute is a global leader in applying futures studies methods to solve strategic challenges.
The tools and insights published under the Respiratory Health Initiative have been validated by a steering committee of independent respiratory and health policy experts, who have used their expertise to provide support, guidance, and oversight during the development of the resources.
Sanofi and Regeneron initially commissioned the creation of the Severe Asthma Index and COPD Index, but the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies independently researched and subsequently developed all the insights and recommendations contained within the Respiratory Health Initiative. Financial support was provided by Sanofi and Regeneron. The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies owns the Respiratory Health Initiative and all tools and resources within it, unless otherwise stated. The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies is committed to keeping all resources and insights within the Respiratory Health Initiative entirely free and fully accessible to the public.
The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies is an independent, non-profit think tank
The Respiratory Health Initiative was independently developed by the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies and is validated by an external independent Steering Committee of experts in the respiratory and health policy spaces.
The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies was founded as an independent, non-profit think tank in Denmark in 1969. Today the Institute is a global entity, working for and with public, private, and academic organisations around the world. The Institute is a global leader in applying futures studies methods to solve strategic challenges.
The tools and insights published under the Respiratory Health Initiative have been validated by a steering committee of independent respiratory and health policy experts, who have used their expertise to provide support, guidance, and oversight during the development of the resources.
The Severe Asthma Index and COPD Index were developed with the unrestricted support of Sanofi and Regeneron. The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies independently researched and subsequently developed all the insights and recommendations contained within the Respiratory Health Initiative. The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies owns the Respiratory Health Initiative and all tools and resources within it, unless otherwise stated. The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies is committed to keeping all resources and insights within the Respiratory Health Initiative entirely free and fully accessible to the public.
Our Aims
The Respiratory Health Initiative aims to:
Improve
The annual societal cost of the major respiratory diseases across the WHO European Region
Identify
Identify good practices in respiratory health care and support the development of resilient, learning health systems
Provide
Provide stakeholders with a unified platform for accessing, exploring, and sharing insights
Drive
Drive the development of robust and future-oriented policies and strategies for chronic respiratory disease care
Highlight
Highlight the role of and need for equity in the development and delivery of respiratory health care
Empower
Empower and educate the public about the impact of chronic respiratory disease
COPD Steering Committee
The committee includes eight global COPD and health policy experts. The members were selected in order to balance clinical knowledge in COPD, patient organisation leadership, and expertise in health policy development and implementation.
Sir David Behan
Chair Health Education England, NHS, UK
Dr MeiLan Han, MD, MS
Professor of Medicine and Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Michigan Health Member of the GOLD Science Committee (2023)
Prof Dr Chen Rongchang
Deputy Director, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health Guangzhou Medical University, China
Eric Sutherland
Senior Health Economist, OECD
Susanna Palkonen
Director, EFA; EU
Dr Ioanna Tsiligianni
Associate Professor in General Practice and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete Director, Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, University of Crete Chair, International Primary Care Respiratory Group COPD Right Care Strategy Team
Siân Williams
Chief Executive Officer, International Primary Care Respiratory Group
Tonya Winders
President, Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform
Severe Asthma Steering Committee
The Severe Asthma Index is validated by a six-member external independent Steering Committee of experts in the respiratory and health policy spaces.
Professor Vibeke Backer, MD DMSci
Chief Respiratory Physician at Department of ENT and Centre for Physical Activity Research (CFAS), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Sir David Behan
Chair Health Education England, NHS, UK
Mark Levy
Board Member, GINA, UK
Prof. Dr. Arzu Yorgancıoğlu
Chair ERS Advocacy Council; GINA Board President; Chair of GINA Dissemination and Implementation Committee; Chair of the WHO GARD Executive Committee Turkey
Mikaela Odemyr
Chair ELF Patient Advisory Committee; Chair Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association, Sweden
Susanna Palkonen
Director, EFA; EU