Highlighting the need for RESPIRE in the Journal of Global Health

A strategy for tackling respiratory diseases 

Respiratory diseases, although one of the most common causes of premature death around the world, rarely receive the attention and priority they deserve. 

RESPIRE aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from respiratory diseases globally, with an initial focus on South Asia where respiratory conditions account for around one in five of all deaths.

Providing background to the collaboration, the first paper details the aims and strategies for RESPIRE as it embarks on its mission.

Programmes and Platforms

To achieve its aims, RESPIRE will focus on two programmes of research, addressing (i) acute and (ii) chronic respiratory disorders.

These programmes will be underpinned and supported by three platforms: stakeholder engagement and governance; capacity and capability development; and methodology and data science.

Read more about the programmes of research and supporting platforms of RESPIRE

Short, middle and long-term goals

The paper also outlines the staged goals for RESPIRE as the collaboration builds momentum.

Initially, RESPIRE is busy building relationships and agreeing research priorities in order to begin projects. These will focus on adapting and/or culturally tailoring interventions that have already been found to be effective in other populations. The first phase will also identify gaps for future research and the development of novel interventions.

The process of setting RESPIRE’s research priorities, using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative's (CHNRI) method, is covered in detail in the second paper.  

In the medium-term, increasing capacity and capability is a key focus, increasing the number of health professionals and researchers who are trained to undertake high quality research.

These goals all build towards the longer-term aim of generating impact, expanding partnerships and sustaining RESPIRE activities into the future, in order to reduce the impact and number of deaths caused by respiratory disorders worldwide.

Read the papers on PubMed

RESPIRE: The National Institute for Health Research's (NIHR) Global Respiratory Health Unit

Setting research priorities for global respiratory medicine within the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit in Respiratory Health (RESPIRE)