'Breathe Better September 2018' wraps up

Breathe Better September 2018, New Zealand's respiratory awareness month organised by Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, has now reached its finale. The campaign shed a light on New Zealand's alarming respiratory statistics, while encouraging people to show their support for better breathing and healthy lungs.

Throughout September 2018, the national campaign was designed to raise awareness and encourage fundraising to help support the 700,000 New Zealanders living with a respiratory illness. With it being the start of spring, the Foundation has also been reminding people living with asthma or a respiratory condition to get prepared for the spring season ahead, and if they are worried to seek medical advice.

Asthma and respiratory diseases are the third leading causes of sickness and death in New Zealand. One in six people have a respiratory disease. It’s the third most common cause of death. Respiratory conditions cost our country over $6B each year. One in seven children have asthma.

Letitia O’Dwyer, Chief Executive Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, comments “For most New Zealanders breathing is something people don’t think twice about. But for the one in six people living with a respiratory condition, being able to breathe properly is far from easy. Breathe Better September is a national movement for people to show their support for better breathing and healthy lungs."

"We are making a final call to support all our amazing challengers around the country, who are in the final stretch or have completed their challenges. We’ve had people doing everything from running, walking, yoga, shooting netballs, cycling and 10,000 steps a day to press ups and sit-ups over the whole month of September. We are set to exceed what we achieved last year, which means we are reaching more and more people with our message, which is just fantastic. I’m so impressed with everyone for taking part, and so far, some of our biggest fundraisers are a two-year-old and a six year old both suffering from bronchiectasis – how inspiring is that! Thank you to everyone who has shown their support this year," adds Letitia O'Dwyer.

Respiratory disease includes asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and obstructive sleep apnoea.

People can still sponsor those who have set up a Better Breathing Challenge. For more information and details visit www.breathebetterseptember.co.nz

For further information about how to stay healthy this spring please visit www.asthmaandrespiratory.org.nz and www.learnaboutlungs.org.nz

Quick facts
• Respiratory disease is New Zealand’s third most common cause of death.
• Respiratory disease costs New Zealand over $6 billion every year.
• One in six (over 700,000) New Zealanders live with a respiratory condition.
• Respiratory disease accounts for one in eight of all hospital stays.
• One in seven children and one in nine adults in New Zealand have asthma.
• Over 521,000 people take medication for asthma.
• It's estimated that 586,000 school days are lost each year due to asthma related symptoms in children.
• More than half of the people admitted to hospital with a poverty-related condition are there because of a respiratory problem such as asthma, bronchiolitis, acute infection or pneumonia.
• People living in the most deprived households are admitted to hospital for respiratory illness over three times more often than people from the wealthiest areas.
• For respiratory disease across all age groups, hospitalisation rates are much higher for Pacific peoples (2.6 times higher) and Māori (2.1 times higher) than for other ethnic groups (Telfar Barnard et al.).

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