Child Asthma in Australia: Background, Interventions, and Evaluation

This report provides a comprehensive overview of child asthma, focusing on the situation in Australia. It begins with an introduction to the condition, defining childhood asthma and highlighting its global and Australian prevalence. The report then delves into the background and context of child asthma, discussing predisposing factors and common triggers, as well as associated symptoms such as breathing difficulties and wheezing. The core of the report examines various interventions implemented to manage child asthma, including the development of the National Asthma Council of Australia, medical cover, and the Australian asthma handbook. The report evaluates the success of these interventions, concluding with a discussion of improved awareness, access to healthcare, and overall patient outcomes. The report concludes with a summary of the key points and a list of the references used.

Running head: CHILD ASTHMA
Child Asthma
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Child Asthma
Introduction
Childhood asthma describes a medical condition in which the airway of a child
narrows causing symptoms such as breathing and difficulty in breathing (Gana and
Fitzgerald, 2018). The global prevalence is 1 in 10 children. The prevalence in Australia
is one of the highest. Although asthma is a chronic illness, appropriate care greatly
improves the quality of life. The presentation will mainly focus on the situation in
Australia. This work will be concerned with asthma in children. Specifically, the
following issues will be addressed: the background, what is being done, some important
statistics and evaluation of the success of the interventions.
Background/Context
Globally, about one in every 10 children are diagnosed with asthma. Whereas
asthma affects both adults and children, it is more common in infants and young children
(Chu and Bhimji, 2017). The prevalence of childhood asthma in Australia remains to be
one of the highest in the world. Whereas asthma attacks could be life threatening, early
detection and appropriate care greatly improves the quality of life and reduces
complications (Maxfield and Peter, 2014). Asthma has been classified as the most
common chronic medical condition affecting infants and young children. An estimated
20.8% of children aged 0-15 years have ever been diagnosed with asthma at a point in
their lifetime (Asher and Pearce, 2014). 11.3% of the children in the age group
mentioned above experience asthma currently. Extensive research indicates that child
asthma has reached a plateau in Australia since the 1980s and early 1990s. The reasons
for this have not yet been identified.

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There are several factors that may predispose an infant/child to asthma. These
include a family history of the condition and when the mother smokes during pregnancy.
Several factors can trigger asthma attacks. These include: exposure to such allergens as
pollen, environmental irritants such as cigarette smoke, strong smells or other forms of air
pollution. There are several symptoms that are observed/associated with asthma in
children. These include difficulty in breathing, coughing which especially happens at
night or when stimulated by cold weather, allergies and wheezing (this is a very common
symptom and refers to production of a characteristic sound when breathing. This is
usually because of narrowed airway which causes difficulty in breathing.)
Interventions
Healthcare is always a key area of priority in any modern government. The role of
offering adequate health care to citizens is usually primarily the role of the government.
As already seen, asthma in children is an important medical condition in Australia. Due to
this, there are several interventions that are being carried out by the government and other
players to ensure that asthma is efficiently and effectively managed. Some of these
interventions are going to be discussed next.
One of the interventions is the development of the National Asthma Council of
Australia. The council is mandated to deal with the issues revolving around asthma
(Becker, 2014). Development of the body has gone a long way in ensuring that both
children and adults who suffer from asthma live comfortably and have quality life. The
council has developed action plan for asthma patients. These plans detail what should be
done in case of an asthma diagnosis, asthma attack or asthma complications. With the
action plans, it has become easier to manage asthma and complications associated with it.

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Other interventions include offering of medical cover which ensures that those
who suffer from asthma can receive health care at any time. Another intervention is the
development of the Australian asthma handbook. This was developed by the national
Asthma Council of Australia and contains valuable information for the patients and
caregivers. There has also been increased awareness and education about the condition
which makes the members of the public more aware of the condition and how to care for
the affected members.
Evaluation
The success of the intervention would be described as great. The intervention
measures explained have greatly succeeded in achieving positive impacts. For instance,
the affected, care givers and members of the public are more aware of asthma and its
aetiology. People with asthma receive more care and love from those around them
without being ostracized. Access to health care (asthma care) has greatly improved over
the years.
Conclusion
Asthma is a chronic medical condition that is characterized by inflammation of
the air passages leading to their constriction. The global prevalence of asthma in
children is about one in every 10. Prevalence of asthma in children in Australia is one
of the highest in the world. Factors such as family history and smoking during
pregnancy may increase the chances of developing asthma. Factors that trigger asthma
include allergens, weather, exercise and infections. Symptoms of the condition
include difficulty in breathing, wheezing, allergic reactions and coughing. The
government, as the primary health care provider, has made some moves to ensure care
for asthmatic patients.

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References
Asher, I., & Pearce, N. (2014). Global burden of asthma among children. The
international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease, 18(11), 1269-1278.
Maxfield, J & Peter, M. (2014). Asthma facts and FAQs.
Barnes, P. J. (2016). Asthma-COPD overlap. Chest, 149(1), 7-8.
Chu, R., & Bhimji, S. (2017). Asthma Medications, Children.
Gana, A. M. H., & Fitzgerald, D. A. (2018). Question 1: Why do children still die from
asthma? Pediatric respiratory reviews.
Becker, A.B. (2014). National Asthma Council Australia. Australian Asthma Handbook
2014, Version 1.0.

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