Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too thank the member for Shortland for recognising the importance of this matter and I acknowledge the contributions of the members for Hasluck and Bennelong, as well as the contributions of other members here today, in raising lung health awareness in our electorates. I encourage all members to get involved in the Just One Breath initiative of the Lung Foundation of Australia.

Lung disease is a silent killer in our community, contributing to almost 14 per cent of all deaths in 2012. A lot of members have touched on the fact that this places very significant pressure on our health system. The Macarthur region in south-western Sydney has some of the highest rates of asthma and lung disease in all of the Sydney Basin. The Macarthur region also has one of the highest rates of lung cancer in New South Wales.

To breathe is one of the most basic functions of the human body but also the most important. The proper function of one's lungs is something that we take for granted. As stated by Lung Foundation Australia, at least one in 10 Australians have a lung condition. Commonly, lung disease goes undiagnosed, as people are unaware of the symptoms; for example, a productive cough or breathlessness. I also note that Indigenous people die of lung disease at a rate three times higher than non-Indigenous Australians. Lung disease is not just a cancer; it also includes asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, chronic cough, bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis and much, much more. It is debilitating and constant and, as the Lung Foundation says, 'When you can't breathe, nothing else matters.' We should always be thinking of our lungs, and I encourage everyone to take the lung health checklist at www.justonebreath.com.au.

I am going to focus on one lung disease. In my electorate of Macarthur I have had the great opportunity to meet and get to know a number of young people living with cystic fibrosis, through my involvement with the Macarthur CF Swimathon. Cystic fibrosis is the most common life-threatening, recessive genetic condition affecting children and young adults today in Australia. According to Cystic Fibrosis New South Wales, a baby is born with cystic fibrosis every four days. Most will not turn 40. This is a sombre fact and one that I hope to make a difference about. At present there is no cure for CF, but the faulty gene has been identified, and doctors and scientists are working to find ways of repairing or replacing it.

CF affects breathing and digestion. Sufferers need up to two hours of intensive chest physio daily, to help break up the mucous in their lungs so that they can breathe. On average, a person living with CF will also take 40 enzyme tablets to help with digestion every day just to survive. The average life expectancy is slowly increasing, and now a person living with CF may live to their mid-30s. But there are still many children who do not reach adulthood and, sadly, there is no cure.

This year's CF Swimathon in Macarthur was a reminder of this fact. Local boy Michael Cotton passed away at age 20 from cystic fibrosis. Michael's family and friends in the Macarthur community rallied together at the swimathon to bring hope to the families and sufferers living with this terrible disease. So far the Macarthur community has raised more than $400,000 over the last six years for cystic fibrosis treatment and research. There is promising new research and new medications, which will help. I am proud that the Abbott government has listed new drugs on the PBS for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The Macarthur community will once again rally around our local families living with CF, who battle this dreadful disease each and every day. That is why this February I will again be supporting Team Lozza, wearing pink tights and hitting the pool. It is not a good look in those pink tights, but these young people are an inspiration to me, and I take every opportunity I can to raise awareness of this disease that they live with every day of their lives.

While cystic fibrosis is a matter that is near to my heart, lung disease is a major contributor to our burden of health in Australia, with one in 10 Australians affected by lung disease. I thank Lung Foundation Australia for their Just One Breath campaign. I believe that this will be a very effective tool in raising awareness about lung health for children and young people and our elderly. I would encourage all members to share this message with their constituents, which I will also be doing with the Macarthur community. I encourage our community to get behind the local initiatives that will support residents who are living with lung disease. I am very proud of the organisers, sponsors, volunteers and teams who get together in Macarthur each year to raise money and awareness for the treatment and cure of cystic fibrosis through the CF swimathon.

As our nation prepares for the coming summer holidays, children will be thinking of what they want for Christmas. I know that at least 80 young people in my community will be wishing for a cure for cystic fibrosis. That is what I will be wishing for, too. I hope that one day CF will mean 'Cure Found'.

Debate adjourned.

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