The National Asthma Council Australia

Promoting good asthma care locally, regionally and around the world

The National Asthma Council Australia has a well-established international reputation and, as asthma prevalence increases, countries in Asia and the Pacific have looked to the organisation for advice on strategic planning, development of treatment guidelines, health professional education, consumer involvement, and the development of organisations based on the Australian model.

NAC is a founding member of the International Primary Care Respiratory Group and was asked to form the GP Asia Pacific Respiratory Board, which focuses on primary care respiratory health management in this region. NAC also played a key role in the successful phase-out of CFC-containing inhalers in Australia in partnership with the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts, and with other stakeholders.

Bangladesh Lung Foundation

The Bangladesh Lung Foundation Travel Awards

NAC has a long relationship with the Bangladesh Lung Foundation and is pleased to sponsor awards at its conference. The Travel Awards are presented to the top three abstracts on research in the asthma/respiratory area to enable the winners to attend the next Asia Pacific Society of Respirology conference.

Travel Award Winners 2015

Pulmonocon 2015, 4th International Conference on Lung Health 10-11 September, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Awards were given in each of five categories. The winners were:

Dr. Mst. Shamima Akter: A Comparative Study To Evaluate The Performance Of APACHE II, SAPS II & SOFA Scoring Systems For Assessment Of Severity And Outcome Of Critically Ill Patients In Nidch, Dhaka (Clinical Pulmonology)

Dr. Mohammad Nesar Uddin Ahmed: Effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on exercise tolerance in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Basic Respirology)

Dr. Nazmul Islam: Chemical Pleurodesis for Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax – A Comparative Study between Tale Pleurodesis and Tetracycline Pleurodesis (Thoracic Surgery)

Dr. Shamim Jobayer: Influence of health care provider’s advice and anti-smoking advertisement on attitude towards quitting (Lung Health)

Dr. Jalal Mohsin Uddin: A Big Bite At The Back - Atypical presentation of Tuberculosis (Chest Disease Cases)

Travel Award Winners 2013

Pulmocon 2013, 3rd International Conference on Lung Health 28-29 September, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dr Md. Ashraful Alam Khan
Medical Officer, ICU, NIDCH, Dhaka
Changing trends of asthma in Bangladesh: 1999 to 2009

Dr Rawshan Arra Khanam
MD (Chest Diseases) Thesis Part Student, NIDCH, Dhaka: A controlled trial of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in patients of COPD with respiratory failure

Dr Fazle Rabbi Mohammed
MD (Chest Diseases) Thesis Part Student, NIDCH, Dhaka: A controlled trial of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in patients of COPD with respiratory failure

Travel Award Winners 2011

Pulmocon 2011, 16th Asia Pacific Society of Respirology Conference, 3-6 November, Shanghai, China

First prize: Dr Neelima Das, ICCCDB & James P. Grant
School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh: Respiratory morbidity of women exposed to different levels of indoor air pollution in rural Bangladesh: A crosssectional study

Second prize: Dr Md. Naimul Hoque
Assistant Professor of Respiratory Medicine, NIDCH, Dhaka: Influence of asthma in pregnancy on labor and the neonates

Third prize: Dr Ashraful Alum Khan
Medical Officer, National Asthma Centre, Dhaka: Trends of asthma in Bangladesh: Findings of the National Asthma Prevalence Study 1999 and 2010

Travel Award Winners 2010

Pulmocon 2010, 2nd International Conference on Lung Health
13-14 October, Dhaka, Bangladesh

First prize: Dr Neelima Das
ICCCDB & James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh: Respiratory Morbidity of Women Exposed to Different Levels of Indoor Air Pollution in Rural Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Second prize: Dr Md. Naimul Hoque
Assistant Professor of Respiratory Medicine, NIDCH, Dhaka: Influence of Asthma In Pregnancy on Labor And The Neonates

Third prize: Dr Ashraful Alum Khan
Medical Officer, National Asthma Centre, Dhaka: Trends of Asthma In Bangladesh: Findings of The National Asthma Prevalence Study 1999 & 2010

Travel Award Winners 2009

Pulmocon 2009, Congress on Total Lung Health
14-15 October, Dhaka, Bangladesh

First Prize: Dr Farzana Yesmin
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahbag, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh: Effects of Nutritional Modification on Anthroometry and Lung Functions of COPD Patients

Second Prize: Dr Md. Ferdous Wahid
National Institute of Diseases of Chest & Hospital, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease in Bangladesh (BOLD-BD): Findings of First National COPD Prevalence Study

Third Prize: Dr Md. Abdullahel Kafee
National Institute of Diseases of Chest & Hospital, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh: Probing into the Risk Factors of Development of Asthma: Bangladesh Perspective

Travel Award Winner 2008

Pulmocon 2008, 1st International Conference on Lung Health
20-22 February, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Prize Winner: Prof Md Rashidul Hassan

International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG)

The International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG), founded in June 2000, is a global network of interest groups focusing on primary care respiratory management. The National Asthma Council Australia is a founding member and is the member organisation representing Australia.

About the IPCRG

The organisation's aim is to use its international network to undertake research in community settings; to lead the production and dissemination of evidence-based guidelines appropriate for primary care professionals; and to develop education programs to support that dissemination and changes in practice. Visit the IPCRG website

Conferences

For the latest conference calendar and news, visit the IPCRG website: IPCRG Conferences

Previous IPCRG Conferences

The 8th IPCRG World Conference 2016 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The 8th International Primary Care Respiratory Group Scientific meeting in Amsterdam offered not only a comprehensive scientific programme but also provided significant networking opportunities allowing delegates to come together with colleagues to discuss respiratory care and new developments.

The 7th IPCRG World Conference 2014 – Athens, Greece

Professor Amanda Barnard, Chairman of the Guidelines Committee presented on the Australian Asthma Handbook at this international meeting, 'The Australian Asthma Handbook: Innovative Guidelines for Primary Care Asthma Management'. Several members of the guidelines secretariat and of the NAC's GP Asthma Group joined more than 1000 participants from over 20 countries at the Conference.

The 6th IPCRG World Conference 2012 – Edinburgh, UK

Australia was well represented at the 2012 IPCRG conference. Delegates included NAC Chairman Associate Professor Noela Whitby AM, plus senior staff members Ms Kristine Whorlow, CEO, and Ms Judi Wicking, Program Manager. Several members of the NAC's GP Asthma Group also attended.

The 5th IPCRG World Conference 2010 – Toronto, Canada

The National Asthma Council Australia's successful education program for health professionals was again recognised at the Conference. The abstract was selected for publication in the June 2010 issue of the Primary Care Respiratory Journal.

Wicking J, Gordon M, Brophy S, Cleveland R, Bell M, Whorlow K. Up-skilling general practice nurses to improve asthma management in primary care. Prim Care Respir J 2010; 19(2): A17.

The 4th IPCRG World Conference 2008 – Seville, Spain

The National Asthma Council Australia's A-Team® asthma education program was internationally recognised for its innovative format and successful outcomes at the 2008 IPCRG conference. The abstract was selected for publication in the June 2008 issue of the Primary Care Respiratory Journal.

Wicking J, Brophy S, Cleveland R, Fodero L, Scuteri J, Whorlow K. The A-Team®: A national asthma education program, the Australian way. Prim Care Respir J 2008; 17(2): 119

The 3rd IPCRG World Conference 2006 – Oslo, Norway

Australia was well represented with a strong contingent of health professionals attending. NAC project manager, Kathy Hope, reported on proceedings and prepared a special ‘highlights’ review.

The 2nd IPCRG World Conference 2004 – Melbourne, Australia

Hosted by the National Asthma Council Australia, the 2004 conference provided a lively exchange of ideas and experience from around the world and from a wide range of areas within respiratory care.

The 1st IPCRG World Conference 2002 – Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The inaugural IPCRG World Conference was held in Amsterdam in 2002, hosted by the Dutch General Practitioners Advisory Group on Asthma and COPD.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) focuses on the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-containing metered dose inhalers.

Our former CEO, Ms Kristine Whorlow, is an Australian Government nominee to the UNEP Medical Technical Options Committee which focuses on the phase-out of CFC-containing metered dose inhalers.

While the transition to CFC-free inhalers is complete in Australia, many other cCountries around the world are working on the phase-out of CFC-containing metered dose inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in-line with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

CFC-free transition awareness package

A CFC-free transition awareness package was created by the UNEP in association with the National Asthma Council Australia to assist National Ozone Units and other key national stakeholders in developing countries to develop appropriate materials ensuring the seamless transition to CFC-free inhalers in each country.

Awareness package for NOUs

A number of resources from the awareness package are available below.

Prescribing CFC-free Inhalers - Information statement for health professionals
Using CFC-free inhalers- Consumer brochure for patients
CFCs in Inhalers for Asthma and COPD - PowerPoint presentation for health industry
Transition to CFC-free Inhalers - Question and Answer Sheet

The complete awareness package for NOUs in developing countries is available from the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Published by UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in association with the National Asthma Council Australia, supported by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

GP Asia-Pacific Respiratory Board

The General Practitioners' (GP) Asia-Pacific Respiratory Board was established to further develop the role of the GP or GP equivalent in Asia-Pacific and to improve the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

Board members represented countries from around the region and worked together to promote best-practice respiratory care by GPs and primary care physicians.

As part of this initiative, a website was developed for Health Professionals only and provided registered users with access to a range of valuable resources, including practical tools and information about international initiatives.

Last reviewed Jul 2019

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