The Global Alliance against Respiratory Diseases (GARD) Executive Committee and Planning Group met on January 30 and 31, 2017, to critically analyse the activities of GARD since its launch in 2006 and to propose a realistic GARD action plan for the next 3 years in order to reduce the burden of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), estimated at more than 1 billion cases globally. The participants reviewed several GARD demonstration projects such as the AIRWAYS-Integrated Care Pathways, a European innovation partnership on active and healthy ageing, and the South Africa Practical Approach Care Kit (PACK) which provides decision support and tools to assist health care providers at primary health care level. These projects have a considerable potential to be scaled up globally in support of the WHO NCD Action Plan 2013–2020.
