Press Release

The RESIRE ASM Press Conference will take place on 14 September 2026.

Time: 10.10 - 10.45 am, Malaysia time

Location: Tactic Room 2, Aloft Hotel, 5, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Press Release

WORLD-LEADING EXPERTS CONVENE IN KUALA LUMPUR TO COMBAT RESPIRATORY DISEASE BURDEN

Lung or respiratory conditions are responsible for one in five deaths globally. Asia is a region severely affected by high levels of illness and deaths due to lung diseases. In Malaysia, lung diseases are one of the top three causes of hospitalisation and death. This week, lung health experts from across the world will convene in Kuala Lumpur to further cross-country collaboration and showcase the breadth of research being conducted to decrease the burden of lung disease across Asia.

The NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (RESPIRE)’s Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) runs from 14 to 17 September 2026, and marks the final ASM for the global health research collaboration that was conceived in 2016. Universiti Malaya has been co-lead for RESPIRE since 2022, alongside the University of Edinburgh in the UK.

The four-day meeting will be officiated by YB Datuk Seri Dr. Haji Dzulkefly Ahmad, Minister of Health, who will reflect on priorities to ensure better respiratory health in Malaysia. Research teams will present findings from their studies and discuss ways forward to improve respiratory health on local and global scales.

Respiratory diseases have a major impact on the Malaysian System

Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and post-tuberculosis (TB) lung disease affect a significant population in Malaysia. According to the National Health and Morbidity survey in 2023, 6% of adults and up to 13% of children have asthma, while around 1 in 3 sufferers remain undiagnosed. In addition, tuberculosis remains a significant healthcare burden in Malaysia, with an incidence of 96 cases per 100,000 in year 2024. The financial burden is further compounded by decreased workforce productivity and increased social welfare costs, necessitating efforts to improve the screening, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. 

Despite coronavirus outbreaks positioning respiratory health as a key public health concern, there is an ongoing need for local and regional research to provide the evidence needed to implement best practice and care. In addition to the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s Healthy Lung Initiative 2025-2030, the recent 78th World Health Assembly adopted a landmark resolution on lung health titled ‘Promoting and prioritizing an integrated lung health approach", with Malaysia playing an active role as one of its key proponents and recommenders. The resolution emphasises an integrated approach to strengthen national and global actions for prevention, diagnosis, and management of lung conditions such as asthma, COPD, lung cancer, pneumonia and tuberculosis, with primary care as a key entry point. It also calls for improved access to affordable care, greater investment in clean air policies, and integrated strategies linking lung health with broader efforts on non-communicable diseases and climate resilience. With evidence generated by collaborations like RESPIRE, governments, policy makers and healthcare professionals can draw on findings to inform policy and clinical practice, to improve respiratory health for all.