New partnership in Health

Partnership with the European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Associations

Air Liquide Group signed a partnership with the EFA to support EFA’s activities to better inform and raise awareness of the European public opinion and public authorities regarding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD, which is under-diagnosed, presents actually a major public health issue. The World Health Organization has predicted that by 2015 COPD will rise from the 4^th to the 3^rd leading cause of mortality worldwide. In Europe only, the total burden of COPD is estimated at 45 billion Euros.

This partnership shows the Group commitment to patients and its concern to meet their needs. The dialogue among all the stakeholders including patients associations, healthcare professionals, scientific societies, public authorities, payers and healthcare manufacturers, is essential for improving disease management and patients’ quality of life, and for effectively fighting the rise in respiratory diseases.

Air Liquide, the European leader in homecare, manages approximately 500,000 patients in Europe suffering from sleep apnea and respiratory diseases, notably patients with severe COPD treated with long-term oxygen therapy. Air Liquide works daily to improve access to homecare and the quality of life of patients affected by chronic diseases.

EFA, the Brussels based European Federation, unites the national associations of patients (22 countries represented with 500,000 members) suffering from respiratory diseases.

For further information: about the EFA