Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Next week in Canberra, this city will be hosting the 2013 National Asthma Conference, Tackling Asthma in Australia—the next 5 years. I wanted to rise this evening to provide a contribution about asthma and what is happening in in this country with this disease and the role it has played in my life. Asthma is a disease that affects the airways of the lungs. It is a long-lasting, inflammatory condition of the airways and symptoms include wheezing, coughing, breathlessness and tightness in the chest. It makes the small tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs narrow so that there is less space for the air to flow into and out of the lungs. This narrowing of the airways can last for a few hours or sometimes days.

I am somebody in this country who has had asthma all of my life; so let me explain what it is like in a practical way. People who recognise asthma will recognise it as I continue in my contribution. Imagine if you held your nose closed and then you were forced to breathe in and out of your mouth. Then, remembering that you can breathe only through your mouth; because your nose is blocked, you do so through a regular drinking straw. Try that for not only one minute, but for an hour. It is extremely difficult to get enough air not only into your lungs but also out of your lungs because of these restrictions.

Asthma is a long-term condition that affects people's breathing. It is a significant cause of ill health and can result in a person having a poor quality of life. Asthma is a real issue in Australia. It is a significant health problem with prevalence rates that are high by international comparison.

The rate of asthma in children has declined over the past decade; however, it remains very stable in the adult population. In the zero to 14 age group, more boys than girls have asthma. In the adult population, it is the reverse, with statistics showing that more women than men have asthma. Asthma is far more prevalent and common in our Indigenous population. According to the report Asthma in Australia 2011, approximately two million Australians have asthma. That is about one person in 10. In 2010, believe it or not, 416 Australians died as a result of asthma—with the risk highest amongst the elderly. That is more than one person per day. It is worth noting that between 1997 and 2009 the mortality rate where asthma was the underlying cause actually decreased by 45 per cent, but in 2013 we know that one Australian will die each day with asthma as the cause.

Clearly, asthma is an issue for all Australians. In 2009 it became a National Health Priority Area because of its impact on the Australian community. Health researchers continue to explore the causes of asthma but, at this point in time, what causes asthma is not known. There is reliable evidence that several factors may play a role in causing or triggering an asthma attack: genetics, diet, exercise, dust mites, pollens, pets, moulds and cigarette smoke—as an asthmatic, I would have to say particularly cigarette smoke. By funding research and regularly informing health professionals, more can and will be done to assist people with asthma. Although there is no cure for asthma, it is a treatable health condition and it can be successfully managed. With good management and support, people with asthma can lead normal active lives.

Tonight I want to talk about the two organisations in this country that exist to support people with asthma and their carers. The first, Asthma Australia, is made up of the eight state and territory asthma foundations and it focuses on consumers. I am on the committee of the Northern Territory asthma foundation and Asthma Australia. The second, the National Asthma Council Australia, focuses on primary healthcare professionals. Both of these organisations currently receive funding from the Australian government by way of the Asthma Management Program, but that will finish in June of this year. Asthma Australia and the National Asthma Council Australia, are both successful and far-reaching programs. They inform and alert people with asthma, and they keep the professionals up to date with information about evidence-based treatments for asthma. The work of these two national organisations has resulted in improved outcomes for people with asthma, and this has been achieved by supporting and promoting safe self-management.

Asthma became a National Health Priority in August 1999. That meant that the two organisations received some very serious funding for the first time, in 2001, and they are currently funded under the Asthma Management Program. The Asthma Management Program benefits the two asthma organisations through community support programs such as the Asthma Child and Adolescent Program. The National Asthma Council Australia is funded for the GP and Allied Health Asthma and Respiratory Education Program—and let me tell you, there are still some GPs out there who need to know what an asthma management plan is and why it is relevant—and for the production and dissemination of health information resources for health professionals. We know that both of these programs are performing well, as they have indicated in their respective evaluation processes.

In May 2011 the government, under its health reform agenda, announced that the Asthma Management Program would be consolidated into the Chronic Disease Prevention and Service Improvement Fund. It became part of the flexible funding pool and, as a result, the National Asthma Council and Asthma Australia were given contracts until June 2013. But late last year the flexible funding program was announced, and both of the asthma organisations were unsuccessful. I find that incredibly hard to believe, quite frankly, considering that there have been some major successes in this area. I know that DoHA received many submissions for funding. Perhaps it has not yet publicly announced the successful applicants for the coming years nor made any announcement about the next round of flexible funding. I know that both organisations are very concerned about the future of their successful and far-reaching programs when the AA and NAC contracts end in June. They have made tremendous progress with asthma but, as with other chronic diseases, there is an ongoing need to support self-management in the community—and, in the case of asthma, to support not only the people who need to take their medication but also the doctors and health professionals who manage the taking of that medication to make sure that even mild asthma does not become life threatening and lead to death.

Without ongoing funding for our important consumer and primary care health professional programs, things will slip backwards again. We must be able to continue to offer this support; otherwise more people will find themselves again in hospital emergency departments. Well-managed asthma means a better quality of life for people with asthma, fewer days lost from school and work, fewer admissions to hospitals and unnecessary GP visits, and fewer deaths. The investment in asthma is not large in total but it does provide a huge quality of life and productivity benefit to 10 per cent of Australians and a very significant cost benefit to the health system.

In closing, I want to mention a few other issues. As part of my role here in the Senate, along with former Senator Guy Barnett I have managed to establish the Parliamentary Friendship Group for Asthma to raise awareness amongst our colleagues about what asthma is. As a result of that we initiated Parliament House becoming an Asthma Friendly Workplace, which means that everybody in this place is trained in how to recognise an asthma attack and how to manage it. All of the first-aid stations have Ventolin and spacers in them so that when people do have an asthma attack they can be treated instantly.

This leads me to the next issue I want to raise. That is, I would like to call on GlaxoSmithKline, the producer of the majority of asthma medicines to take a long, hard look at Ventolin. Ventolin is a drug that you take when you get an attack. Alongside that, you take a drug called Seretide which prevents you getting asthma. Seretide has a counter on it, and each time you spray that it counts backwards. So if I cannot hear how much medicine I have left in my pump, or if I am not aware by simply holding because of its weight, at least I can rely successfully on the counter that is at the back of Seretide. Health professionals and GlaxoSmithKline will know exactly what I am talking about. It is now time to modify the Ventolin inhaler. It is now time to put a counter on the back of that blue machine as well.