Every day, hundreds of millions face the challenges of allergies, asthma, COPD and eczema, which make breathing, working, or even playing a struggle. From children kept home by symptoms to adults navigating challenges to quality care, these diseases touch lives everywhere, often leaving many patients unheard. This is where the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP) rises, bringing together voices from around the world to fight for better care, cleaner air, and fair health policies. With heart and purpose, GAAPP empowers patients and builds hope for a healthier tomorrow. This article explores how GAAPP is transforming lives for the better.

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP) has been a global advocate for patients with allergies, airways, and atopic diseases since 2009. GAAPP’s mission is to empower patients worldwide by safeguarding their rights and urging governments, healthcare professionals, and society to prioritize their needs. With a vision of a world where these patients live better, GAAPP operates on four pillars: Awareness, Education, Advocacy, and Research.

GAAPP collaborates with leading organizations like WHO, EAACI, and GINA/GOLD, serving as an equal partner to shape health and social policies. It amplifies local voices through a vibrant network of over 175 member organizations, fostering global communication and supporting the establishment of patient groups in low- and middle-income countries. GAAPP’s commitment extends to social and racial justice, advocating for equity in healthcare and beyond. Through capacity-building webinars, multichannel awareness campaigns, and patient-centric initiatives like the Patient Charter publications, GAAPP ensures patients are heard in guideline development and research.

CIO Bulletin was honored to interview Tonya Winders, President and CEO of the Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform, who shared inspiring insights on how her organization, driven by accountability, transparency, and a growth mindset, is forging a brighter future where patients are uplifted, supported, and deeply valued.

Interview Highlights

What inspired the inception of Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP)? What issues within patient care and advocacy drew the foundation of GAAPP along with the development of its initial concepts across over a period of time?

Our mission is to globally support and empower patients with allergies, airway, and atopic diseases by protecting their rights and insisting on the duties of governments, healthcare professionals, and the general public.

Most of the 1 billion people living with these conditions experience delays in obtaining a timely, accurate diagnosis, and face barriers to accessing effective treatments.

Today, we are more than 175 patient advocacy groups all over the world working collectively to help those with allergies, airway, and atopic diseases live better.

What steps did GAAPP take to create its mission structure for handling diverse chronic health conditions through a patient-focused and outcomes-oriented approach within its global mission?

To address diverse chronic health conditions, GAAPP created its mission structure with a patient-focused, outcomes-oriented approach. GAAPP has four mission pillars: awareness, education, advocacy, and research.

Awareness efforts include more than 20 different global awareness days with multichannel and multilingual communication strategies. Educational programs include a variety of projects, resources, and tools designed and disseminated to ensure evidence-based care is delivered to all. Advocacy aims to positively influence public policy to create a landscape that ensures the right treatment for the right patient at the right time with the fewest barriers. Patient engagement in research is vital to address unmet needs and expedite the adoption of innovative care.

What major strategic decisions and partnerships enabled GAAPP to establish itself as a prominent trusted voice within healthcare advocacy and patient engagement?

GAAPP is recognized as the “go-to” global patient voice in allergy, airway, and atopic diseases. We participate in global guidelines committees for the WHO, GINA/GOLD, EAACI, AAAAI/ACAAI, and more. We are frequent asked to provide expert testimony to healthcare policy decision-makers such as the FDA, EMA, NICE, and ICER.

Patient empowerment stands as a vital principle of your organization. GAAPP uses which approaches to make certain patients' voices become fully part of decision-making processes throughout research operations alongside policy development and healthcare delivery?

We remain engaged in every phase of clinical trial development and design. We also participate in governmental agency reviews and collaborate with professional expert societies to bring the lived experiences of patients front and center. We have co-created and disseminate validated patient reported outcome measures like the CAAT and CERT.

What aspects of GAAPP's tools, like the Chronic Airways Assessment Test (CAAT) and COPD Exacerbation Recognition Tool (CERT), highlight their innovative strategy to enhance patient outcomes while fostering global health education?

Validated, patient-reported outcome measurement tools are essential to understanding what matters most to each person impacted by a disease. These tools serve a unique role in aiding communication between a patient and their healthcare team as well as ensuring clinical trials endpoints reflect real-world priorities.

How does GAAPP contribute to research activities by helping patients participate in medical trials while implementing communication channels between patients and scientists?

We aid in driving awareness of patient engagement in clinical trials and help design, recruit, and retain participants in trials. We also support translation and dissemination of the latest scientific evidence in layperson language.

How does GAAPP utilize emerging technologies for better disease recognition and improved care delivery among underserved populations while increasing disease awareness?

We believe artificial intelligence and remote patient monitoring play a vital role in addressing the unmet needs in healthcare today. Individuals living in rural settings, or with limited access to specialty care, can greatly benefit from better access to telehealth and remote monitoring devices. GAAPP has recently launched chatbots and a telehealth coach program to support patients in their chronic disease journey.

What future programs or innovations under GAAPP’s direction are you most enthusiastic about since they exemplify the organization’s dedication to lead global allergy and airway disease advocacy?

In late 2025, we are introducing an Understanding Disease Hub, which will support individuals throughout their patient journey with self-paced learning modules.

We are also extremely excited about the World Health Assembly (WHA) 78 and United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases in 2025. Both opportunities are major milestones to ask member states to prioritize lung health and skin diseases. WHA resolutions should be passed in May, and implementation will begin in Q4 2025. Our Speak Up for COPD Coalition has supported more than 50 patient organizations to develop and advance a 2030 roadmap to success.

The Passionate Leader Upfront

Tonya Winders, President and CEO, brings over 25 years of experience in respiratory and immunology. A passionate patient, caregiver, and global advocate, Tonya has dedicated her life to supporting her family and countless others affected by these conditions. She has traveled to more than 60 countries to speak on behalf of the patient community and has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles in the past decade. Tonya is a leading global patient expert, serving on the WHO Global Alliance against Respiratory Diseases (GARD), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), the International Respiratory Coalition, and numerous other guideline committees focusing on atopic and airway diseases.

Tonya Winders, President and CEO, hosts the insightful podcast ‘Passion for Patients’, dedicated to exploring healthcare with compassion and expertise. Listen here: https://passion-for-patients.com/

“GAAPP is recognized as the go-to global patient voice in allergy, airway, and atopic diseases. We globally support and empower patients with allergies, airway, and atopic diseases by protecting their rights and insisting on the duties of governments, healthcare professionals, and the general public.”