World Lung Foundation (WLF) is a non-profit foundation established in 2004 to support private organizations and government agencies, who work to improve lung health, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries.
WLF provides financial and technical assistance to governments and non-government organizations in four priority areas: Health Communications and Information, Capacity Building, Project Management, and Operational Research. These projects are in the following lung health areas: tobacco control, asthma, and tuberculosis. The organization also works on maternal health initiatives.
Activities
WLF Projects WLF supports include:
Research
* Economic analysis
* Scientific conferences
* Pilot treatment programs
Public health policy
* Policy research
* Policy communications
* Advocacy
Capacity building
*Management/operations training
*Technology transfer
*Infrastructure development
Public health education
*Community programs
*Training practitioners
*Mass media ad campaigns
Offices and locations
Headquarters
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
Team based
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
,
Dar Es Salaam
Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
,
The Hague
The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
,
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
Project locations
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
,
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
,
Mauritius
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
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Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
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Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
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Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
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Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
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Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, and
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
.
Recent projects
Bloomberg Initiative
WLF is a partner in the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and, more recently, th
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The goal of the Initiative is to reduce tobacco use in low- and middle-income countries, where 80% of the 6 million deaths resulting from tobacco use took place in 2011.
WLF = funds and supports mass media ad campaigns on the harmful effects of smoking and other forms of tobacco use. WLF has supported 80 tobacco control mass media campaigns in 20 countries.
WLF disbursed millions from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to The International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
, the Framework Convention Alliance, and the CDC Foundation to strengthen their tobacco control activities and to support its own mass media programs. Other partners in the Bloomberg Initiative are Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Maternal health
With financial support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, WLF has implemented an emergency maternal health obstetrics program in the
Kigoma,
Morogoro
Morogoro is a city located in the eastern part of Tanzania, approximately 196 kilometers (122 miles) west of Dar es Salaam.
Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
It serves as the capital of the Morogoro Region. Informally, it is referred to as ''Mji ...
, and
Pwani provinces of
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
. The program has trained 50 non-physician clinicians to deliver babies via cesarian section if needed, and midwives to assist in obstetrics care. In addition, WLF has renovated twelve rural health care centers and upgraded five district hospitals. This includes building three new maternity wards and operating theatres that are fully equipped with surgical equipment and reliable supplies of electricity and clean water. 26 staff houses have also been built.
TB Center
WLF helped fund Asia's first International Tuberculosis Center, which opened in
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
in 2008. The facility provides treatment, research, training and a steady supply of medications to combat Multi-Drug Resistant TB (
MDR-TB) in the Philippines and across Asia. Since the opening of the center, dozens of clinicians from around the world have been trained on the best prevention, diagnosis and treatment techniques for MDR-TB.
Advocacy resources
The Tobacco Atlas, Fourth Edition
The Tobacco Atlas is a compendium of research on tobacco use.
Multimedia resources
World Lung Foundation offers multimedia resources online to assist low and middle income countries interested in creating their own cessation and smoke-free ad campaigns.
15000aDay.org
15000aDay.org is a website where advocates can support tobacco control policies.
Acute Respiratory Infections Atlas, First Edition
The Acute Respiratory Infections Atlas is a compendium of research on acute respiratory infections such as
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 ...
,
influenza
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
respiratory syncytial virus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), also called human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and human orthopneumovirus, is a virus that causes infections of the respiratory tract. It is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Its name is derive ...
(RSV).
Available publications
Tahir Turk, PhD1; Nandita Murukutla, PhD1, Shefali Gupta, MA1, JagdishKaur, MD2; Sandra Mullin, MSW1, RanjanaSaradhi, MSW3, Pankaj Chaturvedi, MD4 (2012). Using a smokeless tobacco control mass media campaign and other synergistic elements to address social inequalities in India. Cancer Causes and Control, 23(0), 81–90. doi: 10.1007/s10552-012-9903-3
Alday J, Murukutla N, Cedillo C, et al. Smoke-free S ̃ao Paulo: a campaign evaluation and the case for sustained mass media investment. Salud P ́ublica de M ́ex 2010;52 (suppl 2):S216eS25.
Mullin, S. Global anti-smoking campaigns urgently needed, The Lancet, Online First July 8
Mullin, S, Prasad, V., Kaur. J., Turk, T. Increasing Evidence for the Efficacy of Tobacco Control Mass Media Communication Programming in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, J of Health Communication, vol. 16, supplement 2, 2011
Mullin, S. Chapter 13 Risk and Crisis Communication: Practical Advice for Responding to Mass Fatality Events. Death in Large Numbers, The Science, Policy and Management of Mass Fatality Events, Gursky, E, Farinelli, M, editors. publisher AMA, 2012.
Murukutla, N., Turk, T., Prasad, C.V.S., Saradhi, R., Kaur, J., Gupta, S., Mullin, S., Ram, F., Gupta, P., Wakefield, M. (2011) Results of a national mass media campaign in India to warn against the dangers of smokeless tobacco consumption. Tobacco Control 2011; tc.2010.039438Published Online First: 20 April 2011 doi:10.1136/tc.2010.039438
Perl, R., Stebenkova, L., Morozova, I., Murukutla, N., Kochetova, V., Kotov, A., Voylokova, T., Baskakova, J. (October 2011). Mass media campaigns within reach: effective efforts with limited resources in Russia's capital city. Tobacco Control 2011;20:439-441 Published Online First: 18 June 2011 doi:10.1136/tc.2010.041269
Thrasher, J.F., Huang, L., Pérez-Hernández, R., Niederdeppe, J., Arillo-Santillán, E., Alday, J. (Feb. 2011) Evaluation of a social marketing campaign to support Mexico City's comprehensive smoke-free law. Am J Public Health;101(2):328-35.
Thrasher, J.F., Murukutla, N., Pérez-Hernández, R., Alday, J., Arillo-Santillán, E., Cedillo C, Gutierrez, J.P. (Under review). Linking mass media campaigns to pictorial warning labels on cigarette packages: An evaluation of impacts among Mexican smokers.
Turk, T., Murukutla, N., Gupta, S., Kaur, J., Mullin, S., Saradhi, R. (Under review). Addressing social inequalities in smokeless tobacco consumption through the implementation of a social marketing campaign and other synergistic elements in India.
Wakefield, M., Bayly, M., Durkin, S., Cotter, T., Mullin, S., Warne, C., for the International Anti-Tobacco Advertisement Rating Study Team. Smokers' responses to television advertisements about the serious harms of tobacco use: pre-testing results from 10 low- to middle-income countries. Tob Control 2011;tobaccocontrol-2011-050171Published Online First: 12 October 2011 doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050171
References
{{Authority control
Non-profit organizations based in New York City