LHL’s international work

LHL’s engagement in the fight against tuberculosis in other countries, has since 1984 been a pillar in the organisation’s international work.

The oldest international cooperation, however, started,in 1948, when the umbrella organisation for Nordic patient organisations working with heart and lung patients was founded. Members are organisations for heart and lung patients in Sweden, Iceland and Norway, together with organisations for lung patients in Denmark and Finland. In this Nordic association (NHL), the organisations exchange information and discuss strategies.

Every year NHL arranges workshops on different themes. In 2003 a Nordic conference on rehabilitation of lung patients was arranged in Oslo, followed up by conferences in Stockholm in 2005 and Copenhagen in 2007. The next conference will probably take place in Finland in 2011.

Another Nordic umbrella organisation is The Nordic Heart Union (NHU). LHL and the organisations for heart and lung patients in Sweden and Iceland are members, together with heart foundations in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. This is a more informal association, providing the member organisations’ administrative leaders with a forum for information and discussion..

NHL and NHU will from 2009 to 2012 have a joint project in the Baltic nations. The idea is to start peer work for heart patients and lung patients. Later it hopefully will be possible, through peer groups, to establish patient organisations.

Rehabilitation International (RI) was founded in 1992 and has more than two hundred members in 82 countries. RI is a worldwide network for NGO’s, professionals and governmental offices. The goal is to provide a better quality of life for disabled people and their relatives. LHL is playing an active role in RI in Norway.

LHL is also a member of European Heart Network (EGN) and World Heart Federation (WHF). EHN was founded in 1992 and is an alliance of organisations and foundations primarily working with the prevention of heart illness. More than thirty organisations from 26 countries are members. LHL is active in EHN, through political activities as well as representing the patients’ voice. Together with European Society of Cardiology (ESC), EHN is responsible for a large EU project on prevention of heart illness. LHL is the Norwegian representative in this project.

Just now LHL is not a member of any international association for lung patients, but is in contact with organisations for health personnel.