This National Asthma Week (1-7 September) the National Asthma Council Australia (NAC) is celebrating 35 years as the national authority on asthma knowledge, leading the improvement of asthma care and management in Australia.
Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases that affects 2.8 million, or 1 in 9 Australians.
National Asthma Council Australia CEO Rhonda Cleveland said that the NAC is proud to be the trusted national authority on asthma care.
“Since its inception as the National Asthma Campaign in 1989, the NAC has led key initiatives to improve the management of asthma and decrease asthma mortality rates in Australia.
“Originally formed to combat the high number of annual asthma deaths, the NAC launched the first national treatment guidelines in 1990 and initiated and led the creation of the National Asthma Strategy that culminated in the release of the National Asthma Strategy Implementation Plan in 1999.
“The NAC continues to lead the improvement of asthma care and management in Australia, driving best practice with evidence-based guidelines, strategic focus and collaborative partnerships.
“Key to this is our unique composition as an organisation. The NAC is a collaboration of four member organisations: the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA), the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
“This valuable collaboration, along with the leading respiratory and primary care professionals on NAC committees and advisory groups and our international partnerships, ensures we are at the forefront of expert knowledge and developments in asthma care,” she said.
The NAC will release new national guidelines for asthma management in primary care on Tuesday 16 September, with major updates in the latest version of the NAC Australian Asthma Handbook including a new website.
As part of the review process, the NAC Guidelines Committee* undertook an extensive overview of the latest asthma guidelines from around the world and the outcome is practical recommendations for Australian primary care based on the best available evidence.
The NAC Australian Asthma Handbook is widely used by primary health care professionals and is recognised as a valuable evidence-based clinical resource with recommendations and guidance for diagnosing and managing asthma in adults and children.
A key focus is recognising the value of multidisciplinary care and translating evidence-based information and expert knowledge into clinical practice for optimal patient care.
Ms Cleveland said that the NAC is also driving impact and wellbeing outcomes through effective and high-quality asthma education.
“We are proud to work closely with primary health professionals across Australia and look forward to sharing the updated NAC Australian Asthma Handbook website on 16 September,” she said.
Register to can gain expert insights into the key changes to the NAC Australian Asthma Handbook at the ‘Reshaping asthma management’ webinar on Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 07:00 PM AEST.
* The NAC Guidelines Committee is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of leading health professionals dedicated to asthma, including primary care clinicians and respiratory specialists.
For further information or an interview with a NAC spokesperson, please contact:
Donna Le Page, Le Page PR
Mobile: 0429 825 703 or Email: [email protected]
The National Asthma Council Australia is a collaboration of four member organisations (APNA, ASCIA, PSA and RACGP) and the national trusted authority for asthma knowledge. We set and disseminate the standards for asthma care through our responsive and evidence-based asthma guidelines - the Australian Asthma Handbook and resources for primary health care professionals. Our Sensitive Choice program empowers consumers to identify asthma and allergy-aware products and services.
