The Canadian Lung Association (CLA; ) is a national organization and

volunteer Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency ...

-based health

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

that supports

lung The lungs are the primary Organ (biology), organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the Vertebral column, backbone on either side of the heart. Their ...

health

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

prevention Prevention may refer to: Health and medicine * Preventive healthcare, measures to prevent diseases or injuries rather than curing them or treating their symptoms General safety * Crime prevention, the attempt to reduce deter crime and crimin ...

of disease/disorders and

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Beginning as a movement in 1900 to control the spread of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

(TB) and provide better services for TB patients, the CLA today focuses on a range of pulmonary-related issues and concerns. This includes leading initiatives to promote pulmonary health and help prevent

lung disease The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart. Their function in the respiratory syst ...

About

The CLA works at the national, provincial, and community levels to improve and promote lung health. Its focus is primarily on chronic lung diseases like

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

and

COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...

infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

s like TB,

flu Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

, and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

, and breathing disorders like

sleep apnea Sleep apnea (sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa in British English) is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which repetitive Apnea, pauses in breathing, periods of shallow breathing, or collapse of the upper airway during sleep results in poor vent ...

, cystic fibrosis, and lung cancer. They provide information to both citizens and governments and advocate for improved care for lung disease patients. To prevent lung diseases, the CLA conducts numerous initiatives including programs to inform people about the effects of

air pollution Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

and tobacco use. This includes providing help to smokers who are trying to quit, and providing educational material and programs to reduce the number of people who take up smoking. Transportation,

radon Radon is a chemical element; it has symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive noble gas and is colorless and odorless. Of the three naturally occurring radon isotopes, only Rn has a sufficiently long half-life (3.825 days) for it to b ...

and wood smoke issues are the subjects of CLA education and advocacy efforts. They also encourage governments at every level to create regulations, laws and policies that strengthen societal lung health in Canada in general. The CLA funds

medical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as health research, refers to the process of using scientific methods with the aim to produce knowledge about human diseases, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the promotion of ...

in Canada to find treatments and cures for lung diseases, primarily through the

Canadian Thoracic Society Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) is a national not-for-profit medical association representing researchers and healthcare professionals in the field of respirology. It was established when the Canadian Tuberculosis Association, now The Lung Associa ...

and Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals. They assist doctors and allied health professionals in setting and maintaining the highest standards in

patient care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered ...

, and to develop and convey new knowledge about lung diseases and treatments. The CLA's medical journal, produced in collaboration with the Canadian Thoracic Society, is the quarterly ''Canadian Respiratory Journal''. In 2020, the Ontario Lung Association ended its partnership with the Canadian Lung Association and renamed itself the Lung Health Foundation. In late 2021, the CLA said that additional provincial groups had ended their relationship with the national body, and that it was undertaking a review of its operating model. The BC Lung Association (now the BC Lung Foundation) and Alberta Lung have confirmed that they are no longer associated with the CLA, while Lung Saskatchewan has similarly rebranded.

Programs and services

The Lung Association offers various programs and services through its national and provincial offices. The national office, located in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, supports the work of the provincial associations. In addition, the national office coordinates national fundraising activities, including the annual Christmas Seal Campaign. It also supports national lung health programs like

Breathworks Breathworks CIC is an international mindfulness organization founded in the United Kingdom, which offers mindfulness-based approaches to living well with pain, stress, and illness. It is known particularly for developing the approach of mindfulne ...

for those with COPD. Apart from that, it delivers online lung health information and also leads advocacy campaigns at the

federal government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

level. Managing a national research program is also a service offered by the Lung Association. The provincial organizations, working in every province and territory, deliver lung health services and programs through their local offices and volunteer networks. Provincial Lung Associations offer a variety of programs, which include presentations and teaching materials on lung health topics, quit lines to help smokers overcome their

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...

; and

support group In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping str ...

s for people living with lung diseases, which help them to build their moral support. Apart from that, it provides information about lung diseases, treatments, and how to cope. The CLA also organizes local

fundraising Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

activities, and has good expertise and advocacy on provincial lung health issues. The Canadian Lung Association carries out professional development and training for lung health professionals. A close connection between The Lung Association and the Governor General of Canada goes back to 1900, when the 8th Governor General of Canada, the

Earl of Minto Earl of Minto, in the County of Roxburgh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1813 for Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Baron Minto. The current earl is Gilbert Timothy George Lariston Elliot-Murray-Kynynm ...

, helped found the Canadian Tuberculosis Association (as The Lung Association was originally known) at a meeting at

Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence of the governor general of Canada, the representative of the monarch of Canada. Located in Ottawa, the Capital city, capital of the country, on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, th ...

Research

The CLA funds medical research in Canada to find treatments and cures for lung disease and to better understand lung function and

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

and the causes of lung disease. All research funded by the CLA and the provincial Lung Associations is subjected to peer review.

References

External links

Lung.ca Official Website

Lung Health Framework
{{Authority control Medical and health organizations based in Ontario Lung disease organizations Organizations established in 1900

About

Programs and services

Research

See also

References

External links