Our mission and vision

The mission of Eurosarcoidosis, as described in our articles of association, is “to promote and support European sarcoidosis research”. This involves creating a European fund for financing or co-financing sarcoidosis research across more than thirty European countries.

Eurosarcoidosis executes a multi-year step-by-step approach to make sarcoidosis relevant to different categories of potential donors. An essential link in this process is to design a European Sarcoidosis Research Agenda. Our Scientific Advisory Board will advise about a draft for such an agenda. This advice will subsequently be circulated for discussion among the medical and research communities and other parties.

To achieve its mission Eurosarcoidosis works together with a range of European and international stakeholders, looking for synergies, avoiding duplication of effort. The prevalence of pulmonary sarcoidosis makes this our main focus area of the coming years. Over time other disease modalities will be assessed for inclusion in the Foundation’s research funding priorities.

Many opportunities could arise from a European fund for sarcoidosis research. Multicenter research financed by this fund could involve more researchers from more countries and thus contribute to a further dissemination of expert insights. A vibrant, multidisiplinary European sarcoidosis research ecosystem could develop into a platform to discuss how unmet patient needs across Europe could best be addressed. This, however, is a potential outcome. Eurosarcoidosis mission will first and foremost remain to raise funds for European sarcoidosis research.

Our vision

If our mission is to create a European fund for sarcoidosis research, then what is the Eurosarcoidosis vision?

First, a challenge of Europe is bold thinking to overcome fragmentation. Success for increased research funding for a rare disease like sarcoidosis may not be easy and is not assured, but it is a worthwhile use of energy in a continent with deep pockets. Eurosarcoidosis will keep its focus firmly on fundraising for sarcoidosis research as healthcare has become a global megatrend, bringing new categories of donors to the fore, also in Europe.

Second, the relative demographic weight of Europe and North America is decreasing in a world where the population of other continents grows faster. So there should be room for more regional sarcoidosis research foundations in Africa, in China, India and other parts of Asia, in emerging markets and elsewhere. In parts of these continents sarcoidosis may well be even more under-diagnosed than in Europe and North America. The larger the scale of sarcoidosis research, the better the chances of scientific breakthroughs, the bigger the promise for future generations of patients.

With all of this come practical issues of international coordination, of setting up a global alliance of sarcoidosis research foundations, of agreeing mechanisms to prevent competitive aquisition of sponsorships and a host of other issues. The pace and disruption of digital innovation continue with the advent of AI. Meanwhile, however, billions of people use interoperable communication technologies which have helped facilitate other international healthcare initiatives. Why could these same technologies not support a new movement to increase funding for sarcoidosis research on a global scale?