By Drew Radford
South Australians love it when the state claims a top ranking, however when it comes to asthma we have a number one status that no one is proud of. South Australia has the highest hosptilisation and mortality rates in the country; equally troubling is that no one knows why.
This number one status is even more troubling considering how common the ailment is, one in ten Australians suffer from it. With literally millions of Australians dealing with asthma there is also a flow on to the economy. A recent Deloitte Access Economic report calculated the direct cost of asthma to the Australian health system as $1.2 billion per year and a further $24.7 billion attributed to disability and premature death.
South Australia may hopefully loose the unenviable top ranking status thanks to a chance meeting last year between Young South Australian of the Year, Dr. Kristin Carson and CEO of Asthma Foundation S.A. David Bedson.
“Asthma Foundation is a partner with Brand South Australia, we attended their function … for the South Australian of the Year and met Dr. Kristin Carson who is a respiratory scientist and we didn’t know Kristin before that.”
David Bedson jokes that he soon became Dr. Carson’s second best friend; but this was bigger than a networking opportunity, he saw the possibility of improving the lives of tens of thousands of South Australian asthma sufferers. “It gave us the opportunity to delve into research which is not something we have done a lot of in recent years, so it’s exciting.”
Seeing the need is one thing, funding it is another. David Bedson had been meeting with philanthropic organization the Fay Fuller Foundation to provide programs to support South Australian asthma suffers. “They indicated they were far keener to invest into research and find out why the situation is as it is in South Australia before investing in what possibly could be band-aid projects.”
“Whilst we’ve got wonderful educators at the Foundation … it’s the Respiratory scientists physicians, the doctors the pharmacists aligned with the foundation that give us real credibility. So to have Kristin and her team underpinning this research program is critical.”
It is high praise for someone who not so many years ago only just scraped through year 12. After school Kristin studied Laboratory Medicine at TAFE and was soon recognized for her ability, she is one of a select few who have earned a PhD but never studied for an undergraduate qualification. In recent times Oxford and Harvard have both tried to coax her to their hallowed campuses but she has politely declined, adamant she can achieve more in South Australia. Arguably being made 2015 Young South Australian of the Year is testament to that and importantly an opportunity for her to achieve even more for the state she is so passionate about.
“It has been the biggest thing in my life that has opened doors. Without the collaboration we’ve had with Asthma Foundation, other organisations as well…. without that connection we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
While the Asthma Foundation saw an opportunity for research, Dr. Carson saw the opportunity to put research into action, something that can be a struggle.
“For researchers, generally we do the work but then it doesn’t always take the next step, being implemented into policy into practice. So setting up collaborations with organisations like Asthma Foundation SA, because with these collaboration and networks we wouldn’t be able to take that work and make it have a real impact.”
Now the hunt for the reason behind South Australia’s unenviable asthma status begins. Over the next 18 months Dr. Carson and her team will carefully trawl through countless previous case notes and compare what they know to other states and territories.
“It is a case of going into it with an open mind, nothing is being ruled out.”
What really motivates Dr. Carson is improving the lives of countless South Australians.
“It’s really quite amazing that I am able to be in a position working with the Asthma Foundation and Fay Fuller Foundation, to really be able to achieve something that is likely to have a positive impact.”
Banner photo: Asthma Foundation S.A. CEO David Bedson