Millions struggle to breathe as WHO envoy warns Afri

________________ Millions of people, mainly in Africa, are struggling to breathe because of respiratory diseases that remain poorly understood by the public, with limited awareness, delayed diagnosis, and inadequate access to treatment undermining efforts to reduce deaths, a World Health Organisation (WHO) envoy has warned. In an exclusive interview with New Vision online , Jos Luis Castro, the WHO Director-General's Special Envoy for Chronic Respiratory Diseases, said the conditions cause nearly four million deaths annually, yet attract less public attention than other major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The interview happened at the World's First Lung conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on October 10 - 11, 2026. Castro said respiratory diseases affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide but remain insufficiently recognised by the public and policymakers.