A blue puffer is not enough: Check your medicine this World Asthma Day
Everyone aged 12 and over with asthma should have anti-inflammatory inhalers, writes Alexander Brown of Healthy Cities Australia
This Tuesday, 5 May is World Asthma Day, when the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) draws attention to the 260 million people living with the condition around the world.
Asthma affects 2.8 million or roughly one in nine Australians and is one of the most frequent causes of illness in children. Tragically, asthma also kills 480 people in Australia each year.
Here in the Illawarra, we know asthma is a common reason local families to visit the Emergency Department, with 1,110 visits due to asthma by Illawarra Shoalhaven residents in 2024.
Despite being so common, asthma is often misunderstood.
The key message from leading medical bodies like GINA and the National Asthma Council Australia (NAC) is that with access to appropriate treatment, most people with asthma can live active lives and breathe freely.
That’s why the theme for this year’s World Asthma Day is: “Access to anti-inflammatory inhalers for everyone with asthma – still an urgent need.”
Last year, NAC updated the Australian Asthma Handbook, the best-practice treatment guidelines for asthma. At the heart of the changes was a new approach to asthma care in adults and adolescents that emphasises prevention.
Too many people with asthma rely on over-the-counter reliever medicines to treat their symptoms but using just a blue puffer is not enough to manage your asthma. Everyone aged 12 and over with asthma should have access to anti-inflammatory inhalers.
World Asthma Day is a great time to see your doctor to make sure you are using the right medicines to keep you safe from life-threatening flare-ups.
Many people in Australia are missing out on the care they need due to cost, lack of access, lack of information, or other barriers.
Changes introduced by the Australian Government this year have reduced the cost of asthma medicines, with a reduction in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) co-payment from $31.60 to $25. Many asthma medicines are also eligible for 60-day prescribing, meaning people whose asthma is stable can get the medicines they need for nearly half the usual cost. Speak to your doctor to see if you are eligible for a 60-day script.
Breathe Better Illawarra (BBI) is an initiative of Healthy Cities Australia funded by Asthma Australia thanks to the Pearl Sheppard Trust. BBI provides information, community-based asthma education programs, and advocacy for children and families living with asthma in the Illawarra.
For this year’s World Asthma Day, Breathe Better Illawarra has partnered with the National Asthma Council Australia, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Community Asthma Service, and COORDINARE: South Eastern NSW Primary Health Network to organise the 2026 Asthma Update.
The update is a training day to educate local healthcare practitioners about the major changes to asthma treatment recommended in the latest edition of the National Asthma Council Australia’s Australian Asthma Handbook.
It will hear from local experts in respiratory and emergency medicine, and the keynote speaker will be Clinical Associate Professor Debbie Rigby, the clinical executive lead at the National Asthma Council. Debbie brings more than 40 years’ experience in clinical pharmacy practice, guidelines development and education to her work promoting the latest evidence-based care for people living with asthma.
Fortunately, there is plenty of support available for people with asthma in the Illawarra. As viral infection is one of the leading causes of asthma flare-ups, World Asthma Day is a good time to ensure you have had your 2026 flu shot. Visit HealthDirect to find your closest vaccination provider.
If you need support to look after your asthma or your child’s asthma, Asthma Australia can help. Visit their website asthma.org.au or call 1800 278 462 to speak with an Asthma Educator.
