Government Input
Health Promotion Expenditure
• Set as a National Health Priority in 1999, initially allocated $8 million
over 3 years
• 2001: Further funding to support best practice management
• 2005: $27.1 million over 4 years, $27.6 million in Medicare GP
incentives
• 2009: $22.6 million over next 4 years through the Asthma Management
Program
Ottawa Charter
Building healthy public policy
• Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring established 2002 –
monitor and provide statistics on various aspects of asthma
• National Asthma Strategy written for 2006-8 – a framework for
continued efforts to improve asthma care (currently under review)
http://www.nationalasthma.org.au/html/strategy/strat0608/assets/nas_sum2006_08.pdf
• National Service Improvement Framework – identifies where
Australia might best spend money to reduce the impact of asthma
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/pq-ncds-asthma
Ottawa Charter
Creating a supportive environment
Asthma Foundations are consumer organisations that aim to meet
needs of those with asthma and their carers through:
•Direct personal information services
•Electronic and hard copy resources
•Advocacy
•Funding research
•Community information sessions
•School and preschool staff training
•Asthma Friendly children services and schools
NSW Health funding for Area Health Service Asthma Educators (in
some AHS)
Ottawa Charter
Strengthening community action
•Advocacy – Influenced the NSW Government decision to
replace unflued gas heaters in all NSW DET schools
beginning with first 100 schools by winter 2011.
Community collaboration around smoking and smoke free
environments
•Lobbying for air quality and climate control
Community asthma information sessions to empower
communities to take control of their asthma
•World Asthma Day and National Asthma Week activities
throughout Australia with the focus on empowering
individuals and communities with key messages
Ottawa Charter
Reorient health services
•Focus is on prevention rather than cure as currently there is
no cure. Asthma cannot be prevented but symptoms and
attacks can i.e. making communities aware of triggers and
how to minimise those triggers in the environment
•Education for Health Professionals on correct medications
and device technique use in order to keep asthma under
control and help prevent asthma attacks
•Funding for research into asthma
Ottawa Charter
Develop personal skills
•Education sessions to community groups, schools, child care, sporting
clubs, seniors clubs etc focusing on management and asthma first aid
•Health professionals educated to provide accurate and current
information on asthma and its management to be relayed back to
patients
•Gaining access to information via Asthma Foundations, National
Asthma Council, ASCIA, Australia Lung Foundation
Information line
Registration program (Asthma Assist)
School education resources (videos, lesson plans)
Online learning (Inhaler technique)
Asthma Foundation NSW Health
Promotion Programs
•National Asthma Week Activities
•World Asthma Day Activities
•Asthma Assist
•Education Programs
•Asthma Friendly Program
•Community Service
Announcements
Example 1: 2XHALE
• Donated funding received from
Volvo
•National Campaign developed
movie/teaser style
• Community Service
Announcement on TV
• Focus on viral emails and website
ASTHMA IS SERIOUS
2XHALE Results
• 9,096 unique visitors to the 2xhale website
– 216, 523 hits
• 4324 Asthma Action Packs were sent out
• 3678 people requested ongoing communication with AFNSW
• We asked how they found out about the 2xhale website:
– 38% followed an email link
– 25% linked through from AFNSW website
– 15% saw the ad on TV
– 4% found the link in an AFNSW newsletter
– 1% heard about it on radio
Example 2 - Asthma Assist
•Control packs and e-newsletter are provided through Asthma Assist –
Online membership
•Recent Evaluation Found
97% of people found the pack useful or extremely useful
95% of respondents took some action as a result of receiving a
Control Pack
74% stated they now have an Asthma Action Plan, 49% visited a GP
31% of respondents stated their asthma had improved because of
the information they received in the Control Pack
61% felt they were more confident in managing an asthma
emergency
Example 3 - Asthma Friendly Schools
Original program with the “asthma friendly” concept based on the idea
that although most asthma management is down to the Dr and the
individual working together, the environment of the person with asthma
can also have a big impact. Particularly for children, it is important that
the different parts of their life, including education and play are safe and
the people providing them care are able to help them if they have any
problems with their asthma.
Asthma Friendly Schools
• Aims to help schools to be safer and more friendly environments for
kids with asthma, through staff education, asthma resources, policy
changes and curriculum assistance
• Was a national government program, now run independently at State
Foundation level.
•41% NSW schools are currently Asthma Friendly
Asthma Friendly Schools
• 3 Main areas
– staff education
– safety equipment available
– policies in place to support education and equipment use
• Outcomes:
– staff can safely deal with an asthma emergency at any time
– kids at school with asthma are supported and understood
– should avert deterioration in asthma attack, and attacks should be
managed quickly and effectively, thus with better health outcomes
(less likely need medical attention or hospital admission)
Details
Websites to visit
• Asthma Foundation NSW: www.asthmafoundation.org.au
You Tube www.youtube.com username: asthmansw
• Australian Government: www.health.gov.au
– For consumers; Health Priorities; Asthma
• Asthma – Expert View. Christine Jenkins.
– www.healthinsite.gov.au (asthma)
• Asthma Australia www.asthmaaustralia.org.au
• National Asthma Council: www.nationalasthma.org.au
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare :
www.aihw.gov.au/publications/aus/ah06/ah06-c03.pdf
References used
•Australia’s Health 2008, 2010.
•Asthma in Australia 2008, Australian Centre Asthma
Management, 2008
•Australian Bureau of Statistics: National Health Survey 2004-05,
2008
•The Health Dollar in Australia. Gordon Gregory, National Rural
Health Alliance. 9th National Rural Health Conference, 7-10 March
2007.
• Health of the people of NSW, Chief Health Officer Report 2006.
NSW Health 2006
Asthma Foundation NSW
Contacts
• Website
www.asthmafoundation.org.au
• Freecall
1800 645 130
• Email
– [email protected]