Wellbeing Budget could be a reason to breathe easy

The new Wellbeing Budget introduced by the Government could be a turning point for Kiwis suffering from respiratory illness.

Chief executive of Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand Letitia O’Dwyer said “the Wellbeing Budget should help New Zealanders live well and stay well, and key to that should be aiding our critical work to safeguard Kiwis’ respiratory health”.

Details of the new budget were introduced in the 2019 budget policy statement by the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson.

The statement said “we need to measure our success as a country and develop our policies as Government, using a broader range of indicators.

“Embedding wellbeing into what the Government does will require shifting to a wider definition of success for our country, one that incorporates the health of our finances, natural resources, people, and communities.”

Ms O’Dwyer believes the new budget could be a breakthrough for ARFNZ who rely solely on donations and other funding operators.

“We understand budgetary constraints, but with respiratory illness being the third leading cause of death in New Zealand, and our resources and services in demand like never before, we really do need consideration from Government in this budget.”

ARFNZ continuously provide resources and education on respiratory illness and are at the forefront of assisting with research aimed to reduce emergency visits for respiratory illness.

Ms O’Dwyer hopes ARFNZ get recognition for their efforts.

“We hope that this Government recognises the importance of our activities, and finally provides some financial support for our work in this Budget.”

There are currently over 700,000 New Zealanders affected by respiratory disease with asthma being the most common.

One in seven children take asthma medication.