Back in December, the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) in collaboration with its Chinese member, the Chinese Alliance for Respiratory Diseases in Primary Care (CARDPC), delivered the first COPD Right Care Teach the Teacher programme, held in Beijing from 5–6 December 2025. The initiative marked an important advance in strengthening primary care COPD management in a country with an estimated 100 million people living with COPD.

The two-day Tier 1 programme brought together 57 national teachers from 11 provinces, 4 municipalities, 2 autonomous regions and 31 cities, alongside primary care COPD master teachers from the IPCRG representing five nations, as well as leading Chinese respiratory and primary care experts. Their goal was to develop actionable plans to roll-out the teaching of evidence-based COPD diagnosis and management.

The curriculum combined teaching methods with COPD-focused education, using IPCRG resources, case-based learning and role-play to reinforce practical implementation of guideline-based care. Topics included diagnosis, smoking cessation, exacerbation risk assessment, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management and mental health support.

Reflecting on the programme’s goal of strengthening primary respiratory care and improving patient quality of life, Prof. Chunhua Chi (CARD-PC) commented:

“This enabled cutting-edge international concepts to deeply integrate with local experience through interaction, transforming them into clinically accessible and applicable skills for primary care. The teaching plans presented by each group embody this spirit of integration—clear objectives, scientifically designed, and innovative in methodology—demonstrating the commitment and thoughtful approach expected of ‘leading talents’.

Each topic resonated profoundly, from patient psychological care ‘from body to mind’ to referral decisions based on ‘timely handover’; from comprehensive management of patients with co-morbidities to interpreting the latest GOLD 2026 guidelines. This resonance stems from our shared mission as primary respiratory health gatekeepers and our collective pursuit of enhancing the quality of life for hundreds of millions of COPD patients.”

The programme established a trained cohort of educators positioned to scale COPD Right Care across China, with delegates now equipped to deliver localized COPD education and processes that can be embedded in primary care across China. In line with the Teach the Teacher model (https://www.ipcrg.org/education/education-programmes/teach-the-teacher) the next phase will focus on them delivering Tier 2 workshops within their regions and leading the adoption of the new tools and processes to meet local needs.

The International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) is a clinically led charitable organization that works locally in primary care and collaborates globally to improve respiratory health through research, education and the exchange of best practice. It is committed to improving access to appropriate, evidence-based respiratory care worldwide.