• focus effort, resources and attention on priority areas where return for
   investment will be greatest;
• provide a means to coordinate and provide direction for asthma activity -
  Research, education, management; and
• identify gaps in asthma activity which must be filled if our goals are to be  achieved.

This Implementation Plan aims for the following outcomes:

• improved quality of life for people with asthma;
• continued reduction in the number of deaths per annum;
• significant improvements in the asthma management practices of adults with asthma;
• increased significant improvements in the asthma management practices   of children with asthma;
• continued and faster rates of improvement in the asthma management practices of general practitioners and pharmacists;
• adoption of effective adherence strategies by health professionals and people with asthma, leading to sustained behavioural change and best  possible asthma management practices;
• reduction in the annual cost of asthma to the community;
• establishment of coordinated asthma research priorities for Australia.

The high priority strategies identified by the Working Group are set out in the Summary Table, in a form which details:

• current activity being undertaken
• plans already underway
• additional work which needs to be undertaken in the next three years.

The Table further identifies the Lead Agency responsible for each strategy. The Lead Agency (or Agencies) takes on responsibility for specific components of the strategic plan, and is expected to play a major part in resourcing, developing, implementing and monitoring the strategy. This Implementation Plan sets out clear roles for organisations already active in the area, and fosters collaboration and the creation of partnerships across the community, in a diverse range of organisations.

Timelines are stated for most strategies, as well as proposals for monitoring and evaluation, such as baseline measures and broad performance indicators. The NAC will monitor the extent to which the Implementation Plan is activated and establish the extent to which activities outlined are being undertaken. An important aspect of the role of Lead Agencies will be to assist in the development and application of a system to monitor and evaluate the Implementation Plan. The National Asthma Strategy Implementation Plan is designed to meet the problems presented by increasing asthma prevalence and an ageing community as a cost-effective healthcare intervention. Asthma has now been proposed as the sixth National Health Priority Area. The Implementation Plan will serve as a useful reference when activities for this are being considered.

Content Updated 1999