Pharmacy Daily | Asthma across Australia

INLAND areas of Australia have higher rates of hospitalisation for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the latest report from the Australian Health and Welfare Institute. Titled Geographic Distribution of Asthma and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalisations in Australia: 2007-08 to 2009-10, the report analysed the association between hospitilisation rates for asthma and COPD, as well as other factors such as socioeconomic status, remoteness and the proportion of Indigenous Australians in different locations across Australia. According to the findings, for COPD higher hospitilisation rates are seen in much of the Northern Territory and the north-west corner of Western Australia. In addition, asthma hospitalisation rates were also higher in some Queensland coastal areas, in the south-east corner of South Australia and in the southern part of Western Australia. “Socioeconomic status was found to be a significant explanation for the variation in hospitalisations for both asthma and COPD across geographical areas of Australia,” said AIHW spokesperson Nigel Harding. According to the AIHW, the degree of remoteness and the proportion of the population who identified as Indigenous Australians also explained some of the variation in hospitalisations, but to a lesser extent, whilst environmental factors such as air pollution or the presence of allergic triggers may also play a role. “There are many other reasons why asthma and COPD hospitalisation rates may be high in particular areas, including local smoking rates, the prevalence of other health conditions, and issues related to access to health care services, which can increase the likelihood of hospitalisation,” he added.

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