Today is European Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Day

☝️Cystic fibrosis is a chronic genetic disease that primarily affects the respiratory and digestive systems. It is caused by a mutation in the CFTR gene, described in 1989 — a discovery that was a turning point in understanding the nature of the disease and led to the development of modern treatments.

🩺The first clinical descriptions of a condition similar to cystic fibrosis appeared as early as the 16th century, but it was only identified as a separate disease in 1938 thanks to the work of pediatrician Dorsey Andersson, who first described the characteristic lesions of the pancreas and lungs in children.

👨‍⚕️The creation of the first patient organizations in Europe and the US in the 1960s and 1970s was an important step in the development of patient support, and today the European Cystic Fibrosis Network (ECFS) brings together specialists for research and treatment standardization.

☝️Thanks to scientific discoveries, new medications, and a multidisciplinary approach, the quality and length of life for people with cystic fibrosis have increased significantly.

👨‍⚕️In many European countries, including Ukraine, scientists, doctors, and patient organizations are working to ensure that every person with cystic fibrosis has access to quality diagnostics, professional medical care, and the necessary medications.

✍️Raising awareness is a step towards better understanding the disease and supporting those who live with it every day.

(date of publication on the website: 21.11.2025)