Australia's commitment to tackle asthma applauded

We applaud Australian Government's commitment to tackle asthma

At a time when another young New Zealander tragically lost her life to asthma in Christchurch, the Asthma Foundation applauds the Australian Government’s commitment to tackle the impact of asthma through providing $200,000 to fund the development of a national plan.

Australia and New Zealand have very similar rates of asthma. In New Zealand 1 in 7 children and 1 in 9 adults take asthma medication – some of the highest rates in the world. Our hospitalisation rates are also high (see figures below).

The Australian National Asthma Strategy will provide a framework for action to reduce its impact on the community and economy. It will work to find effective and efficient ways to prevent, treat and manage asthma

Dr Kyle Perrin, medical director for the Asthma Foundation said “It is heartening to hear that the Australian Government is taking positive action by developing a National Strategy which will ensure that their health system and workforce have the support they need to reduce the impact of asthma. We look forward to working with our Government to achieve this for New Zealanders.”

We are not standing still. The Asthma Foundation, through their Expert Advisory Group, is focused on updating the New Zealand Asthma Guidelines as part of the development of a national respiratory strategy.

"We believe that hardworking health care professionals who assess and treat asthma on the front line can't do their job adequately without up to date evidence based guidance tailored specifically for New Zealand circumstances."

The Australian strategy is expected to be ready for implementation by early 2016.

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