The Global Initiative for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (GIFOSA): Rationale, Strategic Framework, and Call to Action

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most prevalent chronic sleep disorders worldwide, affecting an estimated nearly one billion adults globally, and is increasingly recognized as a major contributor to cardiometabolic disease, impaired quality of life, and escalating healthcare costs. Despite substantial advances in understanding OSA pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment, significant disparities persist in access to care, implementation of evidence-based practice, and long-term outcomes across regions and healthcare systems. The Global Initiative for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (GIFOSA) was established as an implementation-focused initiative to address these challenges through a coordinated, multidisciplinary framework that goes beyond existing regional and national efforts by integrating global coordination, action-oriented implementation strategies, practical tools, and policy engagement. This paper presents the conceptual foundations of GIFOSA and outlines its strategic pillars: strengthening clinical and scientific foundations, building workforce capacity, advancing person-centered management, and integrating OSA into population health and policy agendas. Central to its pragmatic structure is a focus on implementation feasibility, including context-sensitive care pathways, task-sharing approaches, and technology-enabled diagnostics and management strategies that can be adopted across resource levels. By emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaboration, technological innovation, and alignment with health systems and policy priorities, GIFOSA seeks to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice while promoting equitable access to diagnosis and treatment. The initiative further highlights the importance of prevention, digital health integration, and global research collaboration to support sustainable and measurable improvements in OSA care worldwide.Graphical Abstract is available with this article.

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Journal
Pulmonary Therapy
Published
2026-09-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41030-026-00386-7
Primary Topic
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

The Global Initiative for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (GIFOSA): Rationale, Strategic Framework, and Call to Action

Huong Le-Thi-Minh, Babak Amra, Mohammed Al-Abri, Sy Duong‐Quy et al.
Pulmonary Therapy
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
article

The Global Initiative for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (GIFOSA): Rationale, Strategic Framework, and Call to Action

Huong Le-Thi-Minh, Babak Amra, Mohammed Al-Abri, Sy Duong‐Quy, Allen Widysanto, Hyung Chae Yang, Naricha Chirakalwasan, Tayard Desudchit, Yap Yoke Yeow, Stanley Yung‐Chuan Liu, Fannie Onen, Bao Le-Khac, Giap Vu-Van, Sang‐Ha Kim, Carlos Teixeira, Chan Sarin, F. Soyez, Rodolfo V. Dizon, Dung Nguyen-Thi-Thu, Thuy Tran-Phan-Chung, Nhung Nguyen-Viet, Thai Nguyen-Duy, Rusdi Bin ABD Rashid, Ahmed BaHammam, Glenn Roldan, Vinh Nguyen-Nhu, Thien Thanh Dang-Vu, Hiroshi Kadotani, Thomas Penzel, Clete Kushida, Linh Pham-Van, Leow Leong Chai, Amine Benjelloun, Francis Martin, Pei-Lin Lee, Hamza Dhafar, Jianchen Cui, Mouhamad Ghyath Jamil, Franck-Hardain Okemba-Okombi, Kouassi Boko Alexandre, Kiong Fou Yoom, Véronique Bricout, Timothy Craig, Ravi Gupta
article en

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most prevalent chronic sleep disorders worldwide, affecting an estimated nearly one billion adults globally, and is increasingly recognized as a major contributor to cardiometabolic disease, impaired quality of life, and escalating healthcare costs. Despite substantial advances in understanding OSA pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment, significant disparities persist in access to care, implementation of evidence-based practice, and long-term outcomes across regions and healthcare systems. The Global Initiative for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (GIFOSA) was established as an implementation-focused initiative to address these challenges through a coordinated, multidisciplinary framework that goes beyond existing regional and national efforts by integrating global coordination, action-oriented implementation strategies, practical tools, and policy engagement. This paper presents the conceptual foundations of GIFOSA and outlines its strategic pillars: strengthening clinical and scientific foundations, building workforce capacity, advancing person-centered management, and integrating OSA into population health and policy agendas. Central to its pragmatic structure is a focus on implementation feasibility, including context-sensitive care pathways, task-sharing approaches, and technology-enabled diagnostics and management strategies that can be adopted across resource levels. By emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaboration, technological innovation, and alignment with health systems and policy priorities, GIFOSA seeks to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice while promoting equitable access to diagnosis and treatment. The initiative further highlights the importance of prevention, digital health integration, and global research collaboration to support sustainable and measurable improvements in OSA care worldwide.Graphical Abstract is available with this article.

Pulmonary Therapy
Pelita Harapan University (ID), Chonnam National University (KR), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IR), University Malaya Medical Centre (MY), Thai Red Cross Society (TH), Pennsylvania State University (US), Inserm (FR), Chulalongkorn University (TH), Shiga University of Medical Science (JP), Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VN), Yonsei University (KR), Nova Southeastern University (US), Hanoi University of Civil Engineering (VN), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (PH), Calmette Hospital (KH), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble (FR), King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (SA), King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (TH), King Saud University (SA), Sultan Ismail Specialist Hospital (MY), University of Malaya (MY), First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province (CN), Chonnam National University Hospital (KR), Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário (PT), Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR), SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (SG), Dalat University (VN), Centre de recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations (FR), Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CA), National Taiwan University Hospital (TW), Hôpital Ambroise-Paré (FR), King Khalid University Hospital (SA), Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (OM), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Cocody (CI), Hôpital Militaire Avicenne (MA), All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh (IN), Sultan Qaboos University (OM), Concordia University (CA), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR), Stanford University (US)
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research
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