From the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring.

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This report brings together data from a wide range of sources to describe the status of asthma in Australia in 2005. It provides information about the number of people who have asthma, who receive various treatments for asthma, who visit their GP or hospitals, or who die due to asthma. It also contains information about the impact of asthma on quality of life, the relationship of asthma to smoking, and how much expenditure there is on health care for asthma in Australia.

The findings of this report confirm that asthma continues to be a common chronic condition among Australians, particularly children. However, over the past five to 10 years, there has been a substantial decline in deaths and hospitalisations for asthma and also in rates of GP consultation for asthma. This has been accompanied by changes in the nature of drug treatment for asthma, and by an increase in expenditure on asthma, particularly for pharmaceuticals.

Some of the key findings of the report are as follows:

• A significant proportion of the Australian population has asthma. Asthma affects 14–16% of children and 10–12% of adults. These rates are high by international standards.

• The prevalence of asthma in Australia increased through the 1980s and 1990s, but evidence suggests there has been no further increase in recent years.

• In primary school-aged children, asthma is more common among boys than among girls. After teenage years, more women have asthma than men.

• Asthma is more common among Indigenous Australians, particularly adults, than among other Australians.

• Asthma is less common among Australians who were born in non-English-speaking countries than among other Australians.

• The number of deaths due to asthma has continued to decline. In 2003, 314 people died from asthma, representing 0.3% of all deaths. Asthma deaths have decreased in Australia since the early 1980s, but the rate of asthma deaths in Australia is still high in comparison to other countries.

• The risk of dying from asthma is highest in the elderly; however, asthma deaths occur in all age groups.

To view a copy of the report go to  Asthma in Australia 2005 (http://www.asthmamonitoring.org/PDF/aia05.pdf)

(7MB PDF file. Large file warning - recommend "Right click and Save Target As" and save to your hard disk before opening.)

Content Updated August 2005