President's Message
All people free of lung disease. Our vision serves as a positive reminder each day of the trust that our supporters place in our team to support research, to advocate for healthy public policy, and to support those living with lung concerns in managing their condition.
After two years of a global respiratory health pandemic, we reflect on the history of NB Lung. Established in response to the tuberculosis pandemic, NB Lung has been part of the New Brunswick community since 1933. As that pandemic waned, NB Lung continued to support lung health through patient support, education, research, and advocacy to address emerging lung health threats. From asthma to COPD, smoking to vaping, air pollution to climate change, our team remains dedicated to promoting lung health and protecting the air we breathe.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, your NB Lung team has continued to support New Brunswickers’ lung health. We contributed to the Canadian Thoracic Society’s COVID-19 Roundtable, providing a united voice in health protective measures. We submitted written priorities for the provincial and federal budgets to promote lung health and protect air quality. We worked with a number of health charities in advocacy that led to the ban of flavored vaping products. We supported emerging lung health research through our National office.
Our programming continues to provide support for New Brunswickers through their lung transplant journey. Public education campaigns keep New Brunswickers informed of new treatments and expanded coverage to manage lung conditions and to quit smoking. Our radon awareness campaign provides a trusted resource and source of testing kits. We are integrating traditional knowledge with the implications of climate change on air quality, and engaging the health community to take action. But our work is far from done.
With 1 in 5 New Brunswickers living with lung disease, our work is more important than ever. New Brunswickers are disproportionately affected by sleep apnea and COPD. Radon levels are some of the highest in Canada. Youth vaping rates are on the rise. Smoke from distant and local forest fires affects the air we breathe. Toxic chemicals in consumer products pollute the air inside our homes.
NB Lung continues to lead change and improve lung health in New Brunswick and across Canada. We are immeasurably grateful for the help of our donors, funders, and volunteers.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
Yours in health,
Melanie Langille, M.Env.Sc.
President and CEO