The New Zealand group Child Poverty Action Group believes poverty and poor housing should be addressed to fight the elevated burden of respiratory diseases.
The statement from the Child Poverty Action Group is based on a recently released report entitled “The impact of respiratory disease in New Zealand 2014,” which was supported by the Asthma Foundation. While the report reveals that New Zealand is not currently reducing the high incidence of respiratory diseases like bronchiolitis, asthma, and bronchiectasis, the group believes that addressing problems of underlying income and housing issues for the poorest will in turn have a positive impact on curtailing these diseases.
“To tackle the high burden of respiratory disease on New Zealand, we must address the underlying causes,” explained the CPAG health spokesperson Assoc. Professor Nikki Turner. “We fully endorse the recommendations in the Asthma Foundation’s report. New Zealand must ensure children and families have the resources they need to thrive including adequate family income, healthy housing and access to good primary healthcare, and it must urgently address the inequalities impacting so heavily, particularly on Maori and Pacific children.”
