On May 27, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a historic resolution—Promoting and prioritising an integrated approach to lung health—at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. This global framework targets both communicable and non-communicable respiratory diseases, with wide-reaching implications for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.

For market access leaders in oncology and respiratory franchises, the resolution presents a timely opportunity to align corporate strategies with evolving global health priorities. By engaging with policy shifts and supporting evidence-driven advocacy, access teams can help position innovative therapies for broader uptake, while contributing to health system sustainability and equity.

Summary of the WHO Lung Health Resolution

The WHO resolution outlines a strategic vision for lung health that emphasizes:

• Integrated Care: Addressing shared risk factors like smoking, air pollution, and occupational hazards.

• Health System Strengthening: Prioritizing primary care, prevention, early detection, and access to affordable technologies.

• Reducing Stigma: Elevating lung conditions as a political and public health priority.

• WHO Leadership: Offering technical support and monitoring to help countries implement national plans.

With diseases like lung cancer leading global cancer mortality projections, the resolution reinforces the need for holistic approaches across oncology and respiratory portfolios.

Recommendation from the Lung Cancer Policy Network

The Lung Cancer Policy Network (LCPN), a coalition of over 100 experts from clinical, academic, industry, and patient advocacy backgrounds, strongly supports the resolution. LCPN emphasizes lung cancer-specific actions, particularly early detection, to improve outcomes. Their recommendations include:

1. Policy Integration: Include lung cancer in national cancer and lung health plans, focusing on prevention, early detection (e.g., low-dose computed tomography [LDCT] screening), and optimal care.

2. Care Pathways: Develop multidisciplinary care pathways with robust referral systems.

3. Risk Factor Awareness: Enhance understanding of lung cancer risk factors using local data.

4. Program Strengthening: Expand tobacco control, smoking cessation, and LDCT screening programs.

5. Capacity Building: Establish cancer registries and strengthen workforce/technical capacities.

6. Access to Treatments: Integrate new therapies and clinical trials into care pathways while addressing financial and geographical barriers.

LCPN’s evidence-based reports (e.g., on early detection, care pathways, and screening implementation) provide a robust foundation for policy advocacy and program development.

These strategies are directly relevant to oncology franchises seeking to shape favorable access environments in priority markets.

Aligning Market Access Strategies with the WHO Lung Health Resolution

Here are six key opportunities for oncology and respiratory market access teams to align with the WHO’s lung health agenda:

1. Policy Advocacy: Shaping National Strategies for Oncology Access

Action: Champion the integration of oncology into national lung health or NCD action plans.

How: Collaborate with organizations like LCPN and WHO regional offices to provide evidence and policy recommendations that support screening, diagnostics, and reimbursement pathways.

Impact: Strengthens positioning of therapies within national health systems and facilitates early-stage policy influence.

2. Integrating Products into Lung Health Care Pathways

Action: Embed diagnostics and treatments into standardized care models.

How: Work with clinical leaders to integrate biomarker testing, immunotherapies, or targeted treatments into national guidelines and hospital protocols.

Impact: Increases product adoption and ensures long-term integration into care delivery.

3. Expanding Access Through Equity-Focused Strategies

Action: Address financial and geographic barriers in underserved regions.

How: Develop patient access programs (tiered pricing, co-pay support), and collaborate with NGOs to deploy solutions in low-resource settings.

Impact: Extends reach while supporting health equity and universal coverage goals.

4. Generating Real-World Evidence to Support HTA and Reimbursement

Action: Support local data generation to strengthen value assessments.

How: Fund cancer registries, real-world outcome studies, and early detection pilots, leveraging LCPN tools and mapping resources.

Impact: Bolsters submissions for reimbursement and market entry across payer environments.

5. Supporting Tobacco Control and Prevention

Action: Align with public health campaigns on tobacco reduction.

How: Integrate cessation aids and services into screening programs, while subsidizing them where possible.

Impact: Strengthens public health alignment and broadens impact of oncology portfolios.

6. Enhancing Clinical Trial Access in Priority Markets

Action: Expand early access to innovation via local trial integration.

How: Establish clinical trial sites in high-burden areas, aligned with national care pathways and leveraging WHO and LCPN implementation guidance.

Impact: Accelerates development timelines and increases visibility in emerging markets.

Practical Considerations

For effective implementation, market access teams should:

• Ensure Regulatory Readiness: Align with local and WHO standards on product safety and efficacy.

• Build Strong HTA Dossiers: Highlight value aligned with policy priorities and real-world needs.

• Engage Key Stakeholders: Partner with WHO, LCPN, ministries of health, and patient groups to build multi-sector coalitions.

• Lead with Equity: Prioritize strategies that reduce disparities in access and outcomes.

Conclusion

The WHO’s lung health resolution offers a clear policy signal that market access strategies—especially within oncology and respiratory franchises—must evolve to meet broader public health goals. By aligning with this agenda, industry leaders can not only enhance access to innovation but also deliver sustainable, equitable solutions for patients worldwide.

Engagement with stakeholder networks like the Lung Cancer Policy Network and WHO regional bodies will be critical to implementing access strategies that drive both business and public health impact.