The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, or The Union, is a century old global membership based, scientific organization headquartered in Paris with the stated goals to "improve health for people in low- and middle-income Countries".^[1] The Union focuses its work in three areas of lung health: Tuberculosis control, Tobacco Control, and other communicable and non-communicable Lung diseases.The Union organises the annual Union World Conference on Lung Health, the largest annual meeting on lung health in the world,^[2] manages the International Journal of TB and Lung Disease, and implements various funded projects and activities across the world.^[3]

The Union was founded in Paris on 20 October 1920, during the first post-war international conference on TB at the Sorbonne University, where the representatives of 31 countries pledged to work together to fight the disease.^[4] The antecedents of The Union include the former Central Bureau for the Prevention of Tuberculosis. At the time it was known as the International Union Against Tuberculosis (IUAT) and was renamed in 1995 to the current one to include other lung diseases.^[5][6] Early pioneers were Robert Koch, Sir John Crofton and Karel Styblo.^[7]

According to The Lancet, in the 1970s, Styblo "harnessed the meager resources of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and showed that, contrary to expert opinion, tuberculosis could be controlled in extremely poor countries: beginning in Tanzania, one of the poorest of them all".^[8] In 1982, it instituted World Tuberculosis Day, commemorating 100 years from the date when Robert Koch discovered cause of tuberculosis.^[9] The expanded name and mission were adopted in 1986.^[7]

Past presidents include:^[10]

According to its website, The Union has twelve offices around the world serving Africa, the Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and South-East Asia, with a focus on tuberculosis, HIV, lung health and non-communicable diseases, tobacco control and research.^[11]

The Union publishes two scientific journals; the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) and Public Health Action (PHA). The IJTLD is distributed to over 165 countries world-wide and has an impact factor of 2.76. The IJTLD is the reference for clinical research and epidemiological studies on tuberculosis. It is also the only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to lung health, including articles on non-tuberculosis-related respiratory diseases such as asthma, acute respiratory infection, COPD and the hazards of tobacco and pollution.^[12] Public Health Action is The Union's open-access online journal which is published quarterly.^[13] PHA addresses the need for showcasing operational research that addresses issues in health systems and services and aims to provide new knowledge to improve access, equity, quality and efficiency of health systems and services.^[14]