Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) November is Lung Health Awareness Month;

(b) 17 November 2015 is International Lung Cancer Awareness Day; and

(c) 18 November 2015 is World Chronic Obstructive Disease Day;

(2) also notes that:

(a) lung diseases such as asthma, lung cancer and influenza contribute to more than 10 per cent of the overall health burden in Australia; and

(b) three out of five Australian adults studied by the Lung Foundation Australia reported symptoms that put them at risk of contracting lung disease;

(3) recognises the personal and financial impact that lung disease has on patients; and

(4) acknowledges the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation for treating chronic lung diseases.

Australians are not fully aware of just how important their lung health is. The Australian Lung Foundation encourages everyone to just take one breath and celebrate the gift of breathing, because every time we take that one breath we are taking a breath of life. Lung health is overlooked by many Australians. We take it for granted when we take that one breath in and out, but it should not be taken for granted, because one in seven Australian deaths are because of lung disease each and every year, and Australians continue to ignore the signs of lung disease.

This month being lung awareness month, this parliament joins together to raise awareness of how important our lung health is. There is some key dates. Shine a Light's lung cancer awareness day is on 17 November. That is a day when we can reiterate the message around smoking, but it is wrong to say that every person that develops lung cancer develops it because of smoking. Ninety per cent of the men and 65 per cent of the women who develop lung cancer do so because of smoking. There is a stigma attached to lung cancer and I think there needs to be work done in that space because that stigma contributes to the high mortality rate in relation to lung cancer. World COPD Day awareness walks and events are on this month. That is something that members should encourage their constituents to be involved in. Asbestos Awareness Week is 23 to 27 November and I hope this parliament debates asbestos awareness during that week.

Lung disease resulted in more than 1.4 million hospital patient days in 2011. If we look at the stats from this year, because there has been a very high incidence of asthma, we will find that that figure is even greater. Approximately 14 per cent of all deaths each year in Australia are a result of lung disease. There is also an enormous economic burden associated with lung cancer. As I highlighted in my motion, lung disease impacts on a person both personally and financially. They are unable to work, unable to socialise, unable to be involved in activities with family or with sport. It is really important that we raise issues around lung awareness and make sure that people actually look for those signals.

As I mentioned, with the high level of lung disease in Australia, we need to look at ways that we can recognise and treat it. It is making sure that doctors are very aware of the symptoms, and making sure that Australians understand that, if they are suffering shortness of breath or if they are coughing up mucus or blood, they really need to talk to their doctor about it.

But there is something that helps a person lead a more normal life, and that is pulmonary rehabilitation. It is a comprehensive program for people with chronic lung disease, which is when people have symptoms of breathlessness and they are unable to perform daily activities. This program benefits people because they become much more physically active, it reduces breathlessness, it improves the quality of life, it improves mood and motivation, it improves knowledge of lung condition and it increases participation in everyday life activities. This is an option that will link people back into normality. It is not a cure, but it really helps people manage their lung condition. It is something that I believe governments should look to funding.

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