The facts

On average, a person can expect to take more than 700 million breaths in their lifetime. Living with a chronic lung condition, such as asthma or cystic fibrosis, means a child has to fight for almost every one of those breaths. This holds true for asthmatics, who often gasp for breath and require inhalers to help clear their airways.

Despite remarkable medical advances over the past few decades, non-communicable diseases result in 40 million deaths worldwide each year. About 25 percent of these deaths are caused by diseases of the respiratory system that begin in childhood such as asthma, chronic lung disease of prematurity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Acute respiratory infections including bronchiolitis, pneumonia and influenza are a major cause of hospital admissions and mortality in children worldwide.

Family stories

Video

Living with youth Cystic Fibrosis: Sarah

Video

Karen's Asthma Story

Video

Wet cough in the Kimberley

Asthma
A leading cause of disease burden among children.

$28 billion/year in asthma-related health costs alone in Australia

50% higher prevalence in indigenous children

What is Asthma? Find out more
Aboriginal health
More than 1 in 10 Aboriginal children in remote Kimberley have a 'chronic wet cough', which can lead to permanent life-shortening lung disease

Up to 10x higher rates of hospitalisation for Aboriginal kids with respiratory conditions

Respiratory disease is a leading contributor to the Indigenous health gap

Aboriginal Health and Research. Find out more
Cystic Fibrosis
50% of CF patients will die between the ages of 20 and 45 years

Healthcare costs of up to $200k per year for each child with CF in WA (~ $20 million/yr)

A lifetime burden of disease for CF patients

What is Cystic Fibrosis? Find out more
Premature birth and lung health
There is an emerging epidemic of pre-term babies suffering from decreased lung function and inflammation

They often have multiple readmissions in their first few years of life for respiratory complications

Pre-term babies can experience chronic symptoms that continue into adulthood

What are the key respiratory issues for pre-term babies? Find out more
Environmental respiratory health
Environmental exposures in early life have dramatic consequences for respiratory development and physiological function.

Key exposures include allergens (e.g. house dust mites), respiratory viruses, electronic cigarette aerosols, tobacco smoke, and diesel/biodiesel exhaust.

The prevalence of tobacco smoking and second-hand exposure in remote Australian communities is estimated to be >70%, while exposure to dust particles in these regions often exceeds recommendations.

What are the key issues in environmental respiratory health? Find out more
The effect of early environment on respiratory health
The immune system plays a pivotal role during pregnancy and the early-life development of respiratory function.

Understanding the factors during gestation that affect the development of ‘normal’ lung function is critically important to decrease the burden of respiratory disease.

Early environment and lung health. Find out more