Respiratory Health with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: Closing the Gap

Nearly one-third of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a respiratory condition; withAsthma and COPD contributing to the highest burden of disease1.

Hospitalization for Asthma and COPD exacerbations are higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders than for non-Aboriginal Australians2,3. Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, COPD is responsible for two-thirds of respiratory deaths4, and the asthma mortality rate is more than three times that of other Australians.

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6:00PM Meeting start, introduce speakers and rationale Prof. Hubertus
Jersmann
6:10PM Welcome to country Uncle Fred Agius –
Kaurna Elder
6:15PM GSK Reconciliation Action Plan Alex White
6:20PM Lung function compromise in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander patients – restrictive or obstructive?
Dr Antony Veale
6:35PM Lung disease in Aboriginal people Dr Subash
Heraganahally
6:50PM Mycobacteria and other infections in the Aboriginal
population
Dr Simone Barry
7:05PM The nursing perspective of the patient journey Adrienne Mackenzie
7:20PM Q&A Hubertus Jersmann
8:00PM Close Jess Carter

COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
References: 1. Australia Institute of Health and Welfare (2018). Australian Burden of Disease Study: impact and causes of illness and death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/illness-death-indigenous-2018/summary 2. Jenkins, C.R., Chang, A.B., Poulos, L.M.,
Marks, G.B. (2009). Asthma in Indigenous Australians: so much yet to do for Indigenous lung health. Med J Aust 2009; 190(10):530-531. Retrieved from:
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/190/10/asthma-indigenous-australians-so-much-yet-do-indigenous-lung-health 3. Basnayake, T.L., Morgan, L.C., Chang A.B. (2017).
The global burden of respiratory infections in Indigenous children and adults: a review. Respirology, 22(8), 1518-1528. Retrieved from:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28758310/ 4. Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (2017). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework: 2017
report. Canberra: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved from: https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/evaluations-and-evidence/aboriginal-and-torresstrait-islander-health-performance-framework-hpf