Your gifts are opening doors to new research and healthier futures
Why research into kids with asthma matters
About 386,000 children under the age of 15 (8.2 per cent) have asthma.Asthma was the leading cause of disease burden for children aged 1-14 in 2023.
13,600 children under 15 years of age were hospitalised for asthma in 2023-24.
43 per cent of all asthma hospitalisations were in children under 15 in 2023-24.
Children under 15 years of age were three times more likely to be hospitalised for asthma than people aged 15 and over in 2021-22.
About 26,500 children under 15 visited an ED for asthma in 2021-22.
RESEARCH IS OPENING DOORS TO
SAFER FUTURES FOR KIDS WITH ASTHMA
Because of your generosity, together with the support of other donors, Gifts in Wills, businesses, government, and trusts and foundations, Asthma Australia is funding groundbreaking research that could transform asthma care for children.
Imagine if parents could spot the signs of an asthma flare-up before their child even started wheezing, coughing or struggling to breathe.
That is the promise of an exciting new study led by Professor Paul Robinson, Paediatric Respiratory Specialist at the University of Queensland. The research study involved 55 school-aged children (42 with asthma and 13 without) over several months. Each day, participants used a small device called an oscillometer in the comfort of their homes. The device measured how easily air moved in and out of the lungs and how stiff the airways were. No hard blowing. No complicated instructions. Just normal, relaxed breathing.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT SO FAR
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Children with asthma showed more changes in their breathing readings than healthy children.
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These changes closely matched how well their asthma was controlled and how often flare-ups occurred.
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The home monitoring system can detect even the smallest changes in a child’s breathing and predict flare-ups days before symptoms appear.
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Not all flare-ups are the same. The study identified distinct breathing patterns for severe asthma attacks that can be spotted before the first signs occur.
For children in regional communities, where access to emergency hospital care can be restricted due to distance, this technology enables timely intervention and remote specialist monitoring.
This research is a powerful step toward a future where asthma flare-ups can be caught early, serious attacks prevented, and hospital visits reduced.
NEXT STEPS
“Our next stage is a larger study of 200 children across city and rural settings to show how many asthma attacks we can prevent using this approach. By improving asthma control, we aim to transform quality of life for families and demonstrate the real benefits this approach can deliver. Not just in Australia, but globally.”
Professor Paul Robinson
Paediatric Respiratory Specialist
For those people who enjoy the technical side of this study the findings have been published in the journal Thorax.
You can read an abstract of the findings here.
Your support makes research like this possible. Together, we can open more doors to a healthier future for children with asthma.
"The more we can understand about when and why asthma worsens, the better and more quickly we can treat it and prevent attacks before they happen.
That's the goal."
Professor Paul Robinson
Paediatric Respiratory Specialist
Want to make your donations go further? Become an Asthma Hero & donate monthly.
Asthma care has advanced dramatically in the past 60 years, yet the numbers remain confronting. Each year, around 39,000 Australians are hospitalised because of asthma, and over 80% of those admissions are considered preventable. That’s a gap we cannot ignore. By becoming an Asthma Hero, you’ll power the research, education, and support needed to reduce avoidable hospitalisations and improve lives.
As an Asthma Hero, you will help:
Fund phone calls to an Asthma Educator via 1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462) where personalised information can provide life-changing support to people with asthma, their carers and health professionals.
Advocate for greater freedom from asthma and important goals like air quality monitoring.
Fund asthma research.
Save lives.
OR DONATE VIA BANK TRANSFER
If you would like to donate via bank transfer, please use these bank details and quote the reference you used in an email to us or call us on 1800 278 462 so we can thank you with a receipt.
Account name: Asthma Australia Ltd
BSB: 032-197
Account Number: 445 076
Reference: Use your Asthma ID number if you have one
Bank: Westpac
All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
[This appeal does not apply to WA or NT]
