‘Breath’ project shortlisted for top award

THE BREATH (Border and Regions Airways Training Hub) project, which is a cross-border partnership between Dundalk Institute of Technology, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of the West of Scotland, has been shortlisted for a Northern Ireland Healthcare Award.

The 19th annual Northern Ireland Healthcare Awards take place at the Europa Hotel, Belfast on Thursday 22 February 2018.

The Awards are dedicated to celebrating those whose exceptional expertise and contribution to their profession have transformed the provision of healthcare for the better.

The BREATH project will develop cross-border research to better understand and alleviate the impact of Chronic Obstruc- tive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). is an incurable lung disease that is a leading cause of death worldwide, and is particularly prevalent in border regions of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as in South West Scotland. In Ireland, 264 per 100,000 hospital admissions are COPD-related, which is significantly higher that the EU average of 200[i]. The illness is proven to dramatically impair quality of life for sufferers and has a high cost to health services and the wider economy.

The €7.7 million EU INTERREG VA funded BREATH project has established a world-class cluster of researchers who will help address the causes, treatment and potential prevention of