Better Breathing Summer Edition 2023
NEW ZEALAND RESPIRATORY ACHIEVERS' AWARDS
2024 VOTING OPENING SOON!
ADAM FAATZ
climbing world's tallest freestanding mountain for IPF
JOSH BRODIE: TRADING THE BAT FOR A BIKE
CONTENTS
OUR TEAM Chief Executive Letitia Harding
4
Breathe Better September
Deputy Chief Executive, Education & Development Manager Joanna Turner
5
Cleaner Air at Bromley School
6
Respiratory Achiever's Awards
9
Allergy Season
Grants & Fundraising Executive Pam Francombe
10
Our Better Breathing Heroes
PR & Comms Marketing Manager Chloe Bradwell
11
Nick Ashill
Marketing & Communications Advisor Sam Treseder
12
Josh Brodie
14
Adam Faatz
16
The lure of the vape
18
Understanding COPD
Marketing Assistant Jack Perris
21
Asthma Societies
Medical Director Dr James Fingleton, BM, PhD, FRACP
22
Our call to the new Government
Office and Donor Appeal Administrator Christina Goss
Māori Community Liaison Sharon Pihema Corporate Sponsorship & Engagement Advisor Amy-Rose Todd
Chief Cultural Advisor – Māori Sir John Clarke, KNZM, CNZM Ground Floor, 85 The Terrace, Wellington 6011 PO Box 1459, Wellington 6140 04 499 4592 asthmafoundation.org.nz asthmaandrespiratoryfoundation asthmaandrespiratoryfoundation
ISSN 2703-4127 Thank you to the Lottery Grants Board for their continued support, allowing us to provide Better Breathing magazine free of charge.
Thank you to our Friends of the Foundation partners for supporting our ongoing initiatives.
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Please recycle this material after use. This material has been printed with vegetable oil-based/mineral-free inks. The paper used comes from sustainable forests.
Letitia’s Message Education, support and reducing availability of vape products will be key to addressing the epidemic of youth vaping in New Zealand. The Foundation continues in its commitment to educate young The money we raised during BBS went directly into our essential work people on the harms of vaping through interactive workshops for providing resources, education, schools and kura run by our Āpiha and advocacy on behalf of the 700,000 Kiwis living with respiratory Takawaenga (Māori Community Liaison) Sharon Pihema. conditions. Foundation partners and New Zealanders who share our goal of improving respiratory health in Aotearoa.
Letitia Harding, Asthma and Respiratory Foundation Chief Executive
Well, summer is finally just around the corner, which hopefully brings brighter and more stable weather around the country. For the Foundation, we have just wrapped up our busy Breathe Better September (BBS) month, and what an amazing month it was. It was wonderful to join Nick Ashill at the start of his momentous 48hour ‘Laps for Lungs’ marathon, which not only raised awareness of respiratory disease in New Zealand, but also raised almost $12,000 for the Foundation’s mahi. You can read more about the BBS campaign on page 4. We also introduced Josh Brodie in the spring edition of the magazine, and we now invite you to follow Josh’s journey to compete in the 2024 New Zealand Ironman at www.joshvsasthma.co.nz. Josh has lived with asthma all his life, yet has competed at national-level sports. His message is simple – don’t let asthma hold you back. Josh was recently announced as the recipient of the 2024 Ironman Scholarship, and we wish him all the best for this gruelling challenge. As you probably know, the Foundation receives no government funding, so all our work is made possible by the generous support from our community funding groups, our donor family, our Friends of the
It was also part of BBS month that we were generously donated 80 air purifiers from Mercury - 40 of which went into the campaign itself as prizes to those who donated. The remaining 40 were gifted to Bromley School in Christchurch where students were suffering adverse respiratory effects from the ongoing waste and water plant stench. You can read more about this on page 5.
We are fortunate to be supported in this mahi by Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori so we can educate more rangatahi across the motu – thank you. Please contact Sharon if you know of a kura/school who needs one of these workshops.
This year, we are hosting the New Zealand Respiratory Conference and we have an incredible programme, with high calibre speakers who we know you will thoroughly enjoy. It is also great to be able to bring this We are also pleased to announce conference back after a three-year that we will soon be releasing the hiatus due to the pandemic. ‘Te Hā Ora - Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand Reference The theme of the conference is Guide to Support Rangatahi to ‘Leading the Way for Change’, and Quit Vaping’. It will be launched it is a time where we reflect on where we have been and where we at the New Zealand Respiratory Conference in November and will are going – in this waka together. be available online following. I would like to personally thank all our wonderful supporters, attendees This is a special bumper summer and speakers who make this event issue of the Better Breathing possible. magazine, so I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to get in touch with Next year, we will be hosting the your feedback on the magazine or Respiratory Achievers' Awards. any other aspect of our work. We are very proud to, again, be partnering with our Platinum sponsor G.J. Gardner to host these Noho ora mai, awards, and you can read more Letitia about this on page 6. Please put Thursday 23 May in your calendar for 2024 and let us know if there is someone deserving that you wish to nominate. More information around how to nominate will be sent out later this year. Better Breathing 3
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make our Breathe Better September campaign a success. We succeeded in raising awareness and funds for respiratory disease in New Zealand and support the affected communities. Below are a few highlights from the campaign.
TOTAL FUNDS RAISED $15,661 KILOMETRES RUN by ultra-marathon runner Nick Ashill 272 IMPRESSIONS on social media 29,329 MEDIA MENTIONS 59 AIR PURIFIERS DONATED thanks to Mercury 80 PAGE VIEWS on our website 9,260
We'd like to acknowledge our Friends of the Foundation partners who supported Breathe Better September 4 Better Breathing
Cleaner air for stench-drenched Christchurch children Forty air purifiers were gifted to a Christchurch school to help clear the air for children with worsening respiratory issues due to the ongoing stench. The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ gave the air purifiers to Bromley School, after hearing worrying comments from students about headaches, difficulty concentrating, upset tummies and worsening asthma symptoms. Foundation Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says she hopes the air purifier help affected families breathe healthier, cleaner air. "Every breath matters, especially for our children. "So when we learned that students were struggling with worsening asthma symptoms because of the stench, we knew we had to help. “Managing daily symptoms is challenging enough for our children – they should not have to endure this added burden." Bromley School principal Scot Kinley says the ongoing air quality issues has taken a toll on his teachers and students alike over the past 18 months, with many forced to stay home due to health issues. "It's simply unacceptable that our community has had to put up with this." He thanked the Foundation for their kind donation, adding they will go to deserving families.
Leisha McCullum and son Connor were the recipients of one of the 40 air purifiers
Bromley School Principal Scot Kinley
"This support is a breath of fresh air for our community, both literally and figuratively,” Mr Kinley says. "It's heartwarming to see organisations like the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation help make a real difference in the lives of our students and their families." “This donation is a step toward helping families with a situation that should never have persisted for so long." The air purifiers were kindly donated to the Foundation for Breathe Better September by Better Breathing 5
Awards to celebrate achievements of respiratory community The exceptional achievements of New Zealanders who persevere in the face of respiratory challenges will be celebrated at the Respiratory Achievers' Awards next year. The annual awards show, hosted by Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, is being held on Thursday 23 May 2024. It is made possible by the generosity of G.J. Gardner Homes, our Friends of the Foundation Platinum partner, who has just re-signed for a second year. Foundation Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says: “We are very grateful for the ongoing support of G.J. Gardner, allowing us to celebrate the achievements of truly inspirational New Zealanders living with respiratory disease”. G.J. Gardner Homes General Manager Olly Sundstrum says they are dedicated to finding ways to improve the lives of the 700,000 Kiwis, and their families, living with a respiratory disease. “We care deeply about the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders, and welcome the opportunity to help in any way we can.” The awards recognise people with respiratory conditions who have made achievements in one or more of the following fields: sporting, leadership, academic, cultural or community, while managing their condition and living a full and active life. The 2024 event will be the 32nd Respiratory Achievers' Awards to be hosted by the Foundation, reflecting its long history of supporting and championing New Zealanders with respiratory conditions. The Foundation has been advocating for Kiwis’ respiratory health and providing research and
The NZ Respiratory Achiever's Awards are proudly supported by
Nominations can be made across eight categories: • • • • • • • •
Asthma (5 – 11 years old) Asthma (12 – 18 years old) Adult Asthma Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Other respiratory conditions (including cystic fibrosis, bronchiolitis and bronchiectasis) Cody Forbes Award For Courage Media Award (open to journalists writing on respiratory issues) Respiratory Educator Award (open to nurses and other educators working with people with respiratory illnesses)
educational resources for almost 60 years, Ms Harding says. “Our work is needed more than ever now." “Respiratory diseases continue to have a significant health burden on New Zealand with one in seven living with a respiratory condition,” Ms Harding says. “These conditions are estimated to cost our country $7 billion a year and are the third most common cause of death.” The awards ceremony will be held on Thursday 23 May 2024 in Wellington. Winners in each category will receive a return trip for two to Wellington to attend the ceremony, a trophy and one night’s accommodation.
SUBMIT NOMINATIONS BY SCANNING THE QR CODE
Better Breathing 7
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8 Better Breathing
El Niño amplifies pollen triggers for asthma sufferers Allergy sufferers are being warned to brace themselves for the upcoming hay fever season, as El Niño weather conditions favour a windier, warmer, and drier than usual summer. And while that forecast sounds ideal for most Kiwis wanting to enjoy a beach holiday, for those with allergies and asthma it means an intense period of runny, stuffy, itchy noses and frequent sneezing. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says, as a result, asthma and allergy sufferers need to ensure they have enough non-expired medication for the Christmas and New Year break, and always carry it with them. "It can be a difficult time of year for the respiratory community, but being prepared and taking some simple, but effective, steps can make all the difference.” Up to 80% of asthma is associated with an allergy, with one in eight adults and one in eight children in New Zealand suffering from the condition. NIWA meteorologist Ben Noll says that a combination of near or above average soil moisture, above normal sunshine, and above average temperatures is a trifecta toward good growth.
TOP TIPS FOR
SUMMER
1. Avoid going outside when the pollen count is very high (midday is usually peak) 2. Keep windows closed at home and in the car to avoid pollen coming inside with the breeze 3. Dry your clothes indoors because pollen will stick to them if they are outside 4. Invest in an air purifier with a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter 5. Keep your medication to hand in case of an emergency 6. Do a spring clean using allergy friendly products 7. Take a shower at night to wash the pollen off
"As we look ahead to next couple of months, the big stand out will be the wind across the country. Strong winds can pick up pollen and circulate it around.” “It could be that people in the north and east of both islands, where September was particularly warm, may be exposed to more pollen than is typical.” This year’s El Niño would be one of the strongest Aotearoa has experienced in 80 years, Noll says. In Australia, previous El Niño years have been associated with thunderstorm asthma events – an immediate asthma flare-up as a result of the significant amount of pollen in the air. New Zealand’s last recorded thunderstorm event (which was also the country’s first event) was in 2017. It resulted in 14 people presenting to Waikato Hospital’s emergency department with asthma symptoms within 48 hours of the storm. The risk of thunderstorm asthma is highest in adults who are sensitive to grass pollen and have seasonal hay fever (with or without known asthma). The last strong El Niño in New Zealand was in 2015/2016, while weak El Niño-like conditions occurred in 2016/2017 and 2019/2020. Better Breathing 9
NICK ASHILL JOSH BRODIE ADAM FAATZ
10 Better Breathing
Hit and run victim completes 48 hour running challenge ‘The Miracle Marathon Man’ has lived up to his nickname by running for 48 hours around a small university field to raise money and awareness of respiratory disease.
Wellington ultra-distance runner Nick Ashill raised over $11,500 for Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ by running 680 laps of Boyd-Wilson field in Kelburn in early September. Ashill ran the equivalent of Wellington to Mt Ruapehu, running 272km over two days. He is grateful for all of the support he received, Ashill says. “An event like this brings people together and it was awesome to run with so many inspiring people.” The run - dubbed ‘Laps for Lungs’ - comes nearly six years after Ashill was left for dead in a ditch following an incident during a charity run across the United States. It was on day 81 of a charity run across America in 2017, when Ashill was struck by a vehicle in what appeared to be a deliberate hit and run. After a long and arduous recovery, Ashill tested his marathon capabilities again six years later by running 24 hours to raise funds for Breathe Better September. Then mid-2022, Ashill returned to the scene of the hit-and-run in the US to finish the almost 5000km run that ended so abruptly in 2017. Ashill lost his mum to the rare respiratory disease Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in 2015. Ms Letitia Harding, Chief Executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, says, "We are in awe of Nick's tremendous achievement. The money Nick has raised through his run will undoubtedly help us further support and educate hundreds of thousands of Kiwis facing respiratory health challenges." Ashill’s 48-hour challenge this year was a warm up for his next adventure – running from Perth to Bondi Beach, starting in April 2024. A special thanks to Friends of the Foundation Silver Partner, Comfortech, for supporting Nick's run this year.
LAPS FOR LUNGS PART OF BREATHE BETTER SEPTEMBER Better Breathing 11
Pedal to the metal Josh Brodie has hit asthma for six, now he's swapping his bat for a bike. The former Wellington Firebirds batsman has set himself a new challenge — to be an Ironman. In just over four months, on March 2, Josh will compete in the Taupō Full Ironman which involves a 4km swim, 180km bike, and a 42km marathon run. His goal is to break 11 hours and raise $50,000 for the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ at the same time. 35-year-old Brodie has lived with asthma his whole life, and was no stranger to A&E as a child. “I remember running into my mum and dad’s room, panicked, shaking them awake because I couldn’t breathe. It’s a feeling I’ll never forget. It was scary, but that was, sadly, the reality of a Brodie winter.” But Brodie is proof you can live with a respiratory condition and still achieve your biggest dreams, he says. “From 8 years old, my goal was to be a professional cricketer and I got there. “From where I was, to be able to live that dream, I’m super proud of myself and I have a great sense of accomplishment. “My biggest motivation was the doctors told me, ‘oh you can’t do this, you can’t do that’ and I said ‘but I want to play cricket when I grow up’, and they said ‘you won’t be able to do that - your lungs aren’t good enough’.” Brodie hopes that sharing his story and setting himself this challenge will not only raise money for a good cause, but will also help raise awareness of respiratory illnesses in New Zealand.
"If I can inspire just one kid with asthma to continue to chase their dreams then it's all worth it." When Brodie was growing up, he recalls hiding his inhalers and taking them in secret – especially at school, he says.
12 Better Breathing
“It wasn’t cool so I would always hide taking my inhaler where my friends couldn’t see and laugh at me - which is silly, but at 10 years old, that’s how you think.” Brodie played for the Firebirds for about seven years, before bowing out and starting his hospitality career. Brodie managed hotels in New Zealand and Australia, before returning to Wellington from Melbourne two years ago. He is now the manager of Les Mills Gym Lambton Quay. Training for an Ironman is no small feat, with about 15 hours each week dedicated to preparing.
“But it’s all for a good cause, so it’s easy to wake up for that." “Whether the donation is big or small, it’s more about support and creating the awareness and education and inspiring young Kiwis that they can achieve whatever they put their minds to," Brodie says. “With 1 in 7 Kiwis living with some sort of respiratory issue, I think everyone knows someone with asthma."
JOSH VS ASTHMA
FROM ASTHMA TO IRON MAN
joshvsasthma.co.nz @josh.brodie Better Breathing 13
Man on a mission A former army soldier with barely one functioning lung is planning to climb the world's tallest free-standing mountain.
Adam Faatz, a 36-year-old American man, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018 and hopes to scale Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa in January to raise money for charity and awareness of respiratory diseases that kill hundreds of thousands of people. There is no cure for pulmonary fibrosis, and life expectancy, for most, is about five years, Faatz says. “I know I’m in the 1% that have already outlived that prognosis, so why not spend whatever time I have left to raise money for the charities who are trying to help.” The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ are among the charities Adam is helping to raise funds to support. Adam’s disease was discovered by accident when the damage had already been done. It is believed to be a result of the burn pits used in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was deployed as a US Army solider. At the time of discovery, in 2018, surgeons had to remove most of his left lung. The disease has now spread to his right lung. “After my diagnosis, I felt like I didn’t have a purpose,” Faatz says. “It contributed to my mental health struggles, it drained bank accounts, caused anxiety and depression, and made me feel isolated. I felt numb.
“I know what it’s like to suffer, but I also know that you can overcome it." “I just needed help, and now I want to help others." To come to terms with his diagnosis, Faatz turned to the outdoors and became the first person with pulmonary fibrosis to climb New York’s Mt Marcy.
ADAM FAATZ
#OUTOFAIRAROUNDTHEWORLD 14 Better Breathing
Mt Kilimanjaro, standing at about 20,000 feet, is his next challenge. It will take nine days.
What is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)?
If successful, Faatz will be the first person in the world with pulmonary fibrosis to complete this – and the first person to climb it with less than one working lung.
It a serious condition that affects the delicate tissues of the lungs. Normally the lung tissue is soft and flexible which means it is easy to breathe, but in someone with IPF the lung tissue stiffens and becomes damaged from scarring. The process of the scarring of the lungs is called fibrosis, and once it has occurred the tissue does not recover.
“This has been a long and challenging journey, but I wanted to prove that those living with pulmonary fibrosis can still be resilient even when living with a debilitating illness." "At this moment, I want to seek adventure and thrills for as long as I can and I'm doing it for all of us in the pulmonary fibrosis community." Follow Adam's journey by scanning the QR code
How many New Zealander’s does it effect? How commonly IPF occurs is not clearly known, but a reasonable estimate would be around 5 cases per 10,000 individuals.
What causes IPF? Although the cause of IPF is not known, a number of factors are thought to trigger it: • Viral infections • Gastric-oesophageal reflux (heartburn) • Exposure to occupational dusts and chemical fumes • Smoking
Better Breathing 15
THE LURE OF THE VAPE
the vaping epidemic taking hold in New Zealand's schools
16 Better Breathing
Schools grappling with the vaping epidemic are crying out for help, and it’s Sharon Pihema, the Foundation’s Āpiha Takawaenga Māori (Māori Community Liaison), who is coming to the rescue delivering vaping education workshops and resources to rangatahi in Tairāwhiti. But it’s not just about delivering dry facts and figures; it's about arming young minds with the knowledge they need to navigate the treacherous world of vaping. Pihema says children as young as 10 years old are now vaping, which shows just how bad the epidemic is. “Schools have been struggling with this problem for nearly five years trying to provide education and support, while needing to manage behaviour and increasing numbers of students vaping. “One school recently told me that they had just spent $750,000 on vape detectors and cameras for their bathrooms – this has to come out of their operational funding so it’s a massive chunk of their overall budget having to be spent on vape prevention and monitoring.” But her workshops are making a big change. One deputy principal told Pihema that he believed there had been a real shift in the use of vapes at school after her visit. Pihema hopes her workshops create awareness, but she admitted her work is only one part of the solution. The second part is education, she says. “There’s a Māori whakatauki (proverb): ‘whaia te matauranga kia mārama’, which means ‘seek knowledge for understanding’. “If we want our young people to make good healthy decisions then we need to provide them with a range of information for them to learn, interpret and apply to their everyday lives.” The vaping industry are deliberately targeting youth with enticing flavours, cartoon imagery, sleek design and cheap products that are visible and available in every community, Pihema says. “Of course our children are going to be interested and attracted to them when they are marketed like that. It's important that we are aware of these tactics and don’t get sucked in.” It was like history repeating itself, she says. "We have been here before with the tobacco industry trying to lure young people into smoking cigarettes - those young people were our grandparents and parents. “Now we are back again, but this time it’s our children and grandchildren that are the target.” She believes there needs to be more support for education in schools. “Once we have that knowledge base, then we can look collectively at what solutions are going to work best for the students, their home life, their school and the wider community.”
Better Breathing 17
COPD
COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD affects hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders, yet most have never even heard of it. Around 15% of adults aged over 45 years live with COPD and it is the fourth leading cause of death in NZ. What is COPD?
How can I manage COPD?
COPD is an umbrella term for the conditions emphysema, chronic bronchitis and long-standing asthma. When we breathe, air travels from our nose and mouth down through our airways to our lungs. In people with COPD, the airways are permanently damaged, making it hard to breathe. COPD affects hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders, yet most have never even heard of it.
• Follow a COPD self-managed action plan • Use breathing control techniques and a breathlessness plan • Quit smoking or vaping • Keep physically active • Ask your healthcare professional to refer you to your local pulmonary rehabilitation programme • Maintain a warm and dry home • Maintain a healthy body weight • Visit your healthcare team regularly • Manage your stress • Use energy conservation techniques • Take your medicines and inhalers as prescribed by your healthcare team
What causes COPD? Smoking, including second-hand smoking, is the main cause of COPD. This means that for most people COPD is a preventable disease. However, there are a small number of people who develop COPD who have never smoked. These people may have long-standing asthma or have been exposed to other inhaled pollutants such as industrial dusts in their workplace or air pollution.
What are the symptoms of COPD? As COPD is a condition that gets worse over time, the initial stages of the condition may be mild and almost unnoticeable. Once more lung damage has occurred, your COPD will be classed as ‘moderate’ and you may begin to notice symptoms.
Moderate COPD symptoms include: • A chronic cough, which may produce mucus • Feeling short of breath when walking • Increasing difficulty completing daily activities • Recurrent chest infections that take longer to clear up
Severe COPD symptoms include: • Coughing up lots of mucus • Feeling short of breath after simply walking across a room, bending down or dressing • Feeling tired • Recurrent chest infections • Flare-ups getting more severe and more frequent
18 Better Breathing
Musculoskeletal effects of COPD by Zöe Manderson
We tend to think of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) as something that just affects our lungs and breathing - you get puffed more easily and that is why physical activity becomes more difficult. However, research has shown that COPD also has an impact on your musculoskeletal system (your muscles and bones) which contributes to reduced exercise capacity. Sarcopenia is a medical term used to describe the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength. People with COPD are more susceptible to sarcopenia. It typically affects their lower limb muscles the most, especially the big front thigh muscles called the quadriceps.
Deterioration in bone quality is known as osteoporosis. The bone becomes more fragile and is at risk of fractures (getting broken). Hip fractures and spinal fractures are the most common. Unfortunately, osteoporosis is also more common in people with COPD. There are several factors which contribute to the increased incidence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia in COPD. These include cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, corticosteroid (e.g. prednisone) use and inflammation.
EXERCISE 1
One of the most important things you can do to help minimise the musculoskeletal impacts of COPD is exercise. Why not start right now, with this simple exercise: This exercise targets your quadriceps. Sit comfortably in your chair, lift one leg, lower and then repeat with the other leg. Aim for ten repetitions on each leg, or until your muscles start feel tired. A good time to do this exercise is during an ad-break on TV. You can make the exercise more difficult by wearing strap on leg weights if you have them.
EXERCISE 2
Another simple exercise which focuses on lower limb strength and also balance is this: Do this exercise near the kitchen bench so you can hold it for support, or if you want to challenge your balance, try it without holding on. Gently bend your hips and knees, like you are preparing to sit down, then push up tall again. A good time to do this exercise is while you are waiting for the kettle to boil. Try and do these exercises three or four times per week.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zöe Manderson is a respiratory physiotherapist in Taranaki for Te Whatu Ora and a member of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board.
With the warmer weather approaching (hopefully!) it is also a good time to get outside. Walking is an excellent, easy and free exercise option which can help strengthen your muscles and bones and improve your overall exercise capacity.
Better Breathing 19
At the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, we receive no Government funding and rely heavily on donations and the gifts left to us in wills to fund our advocacy, education and research. We are endlessly grateful and humbled by the generosity of those who chose to leave a gift in their will to us – it ensures we are able to provide ongoing support to our respiratory community for years to come and contributes to our goal of reducing hospital admissions caused by asthma and other respiratory conditions, which affects 1 in 7 Kiwis. Respiratory conditions are the leading cause of unplanned hospital admissions for children under five and every year asthma causes the death of over 100 New Zealanders and over 250,000 people globally. Your support will ensure we reduce these terrible statistics in the future. To speak to someone about leaving a gift in your will, please call us on 04 499 4592 or email pam@arfnz.org.nz
Half a Century of Dedication: Asthma Society Bids Farewell in Tairāwhiti A committed duo have closed the doors on the Gisborne and East Coast Asthma Society after more than 50 years of community service. Lyn Lolohea and Annette Brimmer have reluctantly retired from the voluntary roles they have given much of their lives to, due to family commitments. The society was established more than half a century ago. Lolohea says they have helped educate thousands of families and children about asthma during that time. Lyn was working full-time as a nurse, managing a household of six children and dedicating every other moment to the society. One of her most treasured memories was hosting asthma camps, where children could enjoy a raft of camp activities, while having the support of adults who were trained to assist with respiratory diseases. She also enjoyed visiting schools to educate teachers, as well as help with families who wanted information on how to help their children.
20 Better Breathing
Gisborne-East Coast Asthma Society committee members in 1974.
“It was really nice knowing we were giving parents the confidence to help their children and to not be frightened.” Annette says she joined the society not long after it established and also enjoyed the asthma camps and thrived in attending conferences and other events. “I always said you are never too old to learn something new.” Annette took great pleasure in helping local families in any way they could. “So it’s a bit sad to close the doors - I really did enjoy my asthma society life – but it was time.”
your local
ASTHMA SOCIETY
Societies
Is your support group missing? Let us know: info@arfnz.org.nz
Asthma NZ - Auckland
Asthma Waikato
Tu Kotahi Māori Asthma Trust
Asthma NZ - Rotorua
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm 09 623 0236 0800 227 328 anz@asthma.org.nz 581 Mt Eden Road, Auckland
Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5pm 04 939 4629 / 0800 939 462 anne@kokiri-hauora.org.nz 7-9 Barnes St, Seaview, Lower Hutt 5010
Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm 07 838 0851 info@asthmawaikato.org.nz 18 Claudelands Road, Hamilton East, Hamilton Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm 07 347 1012 rotorua@asthma.org.nz 1290 Eruera Street, Rotorua 3010
Asthma NZ - Wellington
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm 04 237 4520 wellington@asthma.org.nz Level 2, 120 Featherston Street, Wellington 6011 www.asthma.org.nz
Asthma and Respiratory Management BOP Inc
Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm 07 577 6738 0800 ARM BOP or 0800 276 267 reception@asthmabop.org.nz 254 Chadwick Rd, Gate Pa, Tauranga 3112
Nelson Asthma Society
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9am-2pm 03 544 1562 asthma.nelson@xtra.co.nz 9 Cambridge Street, Richmond, Nelson 7020
Breathe Hawke’s Bay
Monday-Friday, 8.30am-3pm 06 835 0018 admin@breathehb.co.nz 199 Dickens Street, Napier www.breathehb.co.nz
CanBreathe Canterbury
Otago Asthma Society
Support Groups
Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm 03 386 0278 office@canbreathe.org.nz 196 Hills Road, Edgeware, Christchurch 8013 www.canbreathe.org.nz
Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm 03 471 6167, 027 471 6160 otagoasthma@xtra.co.nz Dunedin Community House, 1st Floor, Cnr Moray and Great King Street, Dunedin 9016
Marlborough COPD Support and Exercise Group
Porirua SYLO Choir
Wellington SYLO Choir
Manawatu Breathe Easy
Contact Gillian McCloy 027 454 5102
Tuesdays 10.30am 027 817 1136 All Saints Church, 90 Hamiltons Road, Haitaitai
Thursdays 11.30 - 12.30pm 027 405 6458 Supper Room, Mungavin Hall, Mungavin Avenue, Ranui, Porirua
06 3587491 owenped@xtra.co.nz
Eastern BOP Asthma and COPD Support Group 07 307 1447 or 0800 227 363 copd@drct.co.nz C/O Karen Couchman, Disabilities Resource Centre Trust, 141 King Street, Whakatane 3120
Horowhenua Breathe Easy Support Group 06 368 8069 iandlmckenzie@xtra.co.nz 9 Kilsby Place, Levin 5510
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Our call to the next Government Te Pūnaha Hauora: Investing in respiratory wellness as a national health priority • A reduction in acute respiratory hospitalisations should be a national health priority for Te Whatu Ora. • Funding for research into the environmental and societal causes of respiratory disease in Aotearoa New Zealand. • Development of better models of care to change the long-term persistence of poor outcomes from lung disease, with a particular focus on reducing disparities for Māori and Pacific people.
Te Hapori Hauora: Investment into implementing a national respiratory strategy plan for children and adults • Build best-practice spirometry capacity across the country. • Support accurate diagnosis of asthma in children with access to bronchodilator testing in all districts and according to ARFNZ national guidelines. • Invest in respiratory-related workforce development and training programmes. • Prevent bronchiectasis by supporting proactive follow-up of serious respiratory infections in children through the national roll-out of the Lungs4Life programme. • Dedicated funding package for bronchiectasis based on the models of care used for cystic fibrosis. • Roll out a national respiratory network/strategy. • Roll out of lung cancer screening.
Te Pūnaha Hauora: Improved respiratory services by investing in multi-disciplinary teams (MDT) • Build national and regional level services, standards and models of both paediatric and adult respiratory care. • Build multi-disciplinary care in all regions supported with physiotherapy, social work and other allied health resources. • Expand access to respiratory education and pulmonary rehabilitation programmes throughout the country. • Support the delivery of a funded pharmacist consultation-based service to improve education, adherence, inhaler technique and overall management of asthma in the community, based on the current New Zealand guidelines.
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Te Taiao: Tackling the youth vaping epidemic in Aotearoa • Banning of all disposable vapes. • Limit nicotine content to 20 mg/ml for all vape products. • Stop any more Specialist Vape Retailers (SVRs) setting up in Aotearoa. • Re-look at the nicotine-containing vapes prescription model. • Ban front-of-store advertising and displays of vaping products. • Support vaping harm education programmes for rangatahi.
Te Hapori Hauora: Invest in vaccination programmes • Support research into respiratory vaccine trials. • Support national prevention – immunisation RSV vaccines. • Annual influenza vaccination funded for all New Zealanders.
Whānau Ora: Health literacy • Improve access to age and culturally appropriate education and resources on respiratory health. • Support the ARFNZ He Māramatanga Huangō Report recommendations to deliver understandable best-practice asthma advice for Māori children. • Developing community-based and culturally appropriate support at all levels.
Te Taiao: Healthy housing to reduce respiratory illness rates • Ensure all rentals meet the healthy homes standards below by investing in rental house checks and enforcing infringement fees to non-compliant landlords: – well-insulated – well-ventilated – adequate fixed heating – free from mould, damp and draughts.
Te Taiao: Clean indoor and outdoor air to improve lung function • Ban the use of unflued gas heaters indoors. • Reduce pollution from solid-fuel burning for home heating and industrial use. • Changing all the public service vehicle fleet to EVs. • Monitoring of NO2, PM2.5, and PM10 pollutants in real-time. • Implement a nationally funded strategy to enhance air quality. • Support indoor air quality monitoring in all childcare centres, schools and universities. • Greater investment into low-polluting energy sources.
Te Papa, Wellington
This conference is also supported by a grant from:
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