Lung Foundation Australia will launch a new consumer initiative on November 1, which explores what extraordinary things can be done with Just One Breath. With a focus on positive health and wellbeing, the campaign’s aim is to inspire conversations about lung health, and will include a series of short films with prominent Australians including Casey Dellacqua and Christine Anu, who share their own personal stories about the power of breath in their professional lives.
Just One Breath will launch to coincide with Lung Health Awareness Month, an annual month-long event that celebrates the importance of breath. The initiative aims to begin a long-lasting conversation about the importance of healthy lungs and the power of breath for a life of vitality.
The website will act as the consumer platform, hosting the short films with various Australian stars and their tips for good lung health, a simple Lung Health Checklist, and a variety of interactive and informative resources including everyday people sharing what they can do with just one breath, so that others can tap into their own health.
The music and sporting stars sharing their Just One Breath stories include:
- Christine Anu, multi-Aria Award winning singer/ songwriter and actress
- Casey Dellacqua, Australian professional tennis champion
- James Morrison, multi-instrumentalist jazz musician and composer
- Melissa Breen, the nation’s fastest female sprinter
- Matt Hall,Red Bull Air Race World Champion
- Archie Roach, Australian musician, singer/songwriter and guitarist
- Justen “Jughead” Allport, international big wave surfer
A healthy set of lungs is fundamental to a healthy life; the simplest daily action – breathing – is often taken for granted or overlooked. Yet millions of Australians are affected by lung disease every day. Just One Breath aims to shift focus from the negative stigma attached to lung disease, and instead empower Australians to join the conversation about lung health and general wellbeing.
Recent research by Lung Foundation Australia found that most Australians believe they have no lung health issues, and more than 50% of all Australian adults rarely think about the health of their lungs.
In a new publication released this month ‘Lung Disease in Australia’, lung disease is identified as contributing a significant 10% of overall burden of disease (Disability Adjusted Life Years). This comprises years of expected life lost due to premature death and the years lived with disability.
A few fast facts:
- At least one in ten people have a lung condition in Australia.
- Commonly lung disease goes undiagnosed, as people are unaware of the symptoms ie productive cough, breathlessness.
- Indigenous people die of lung disease at a rate three times higher than non-indigenous Australians.
- Lung disease is not just cancer. It also includes asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, chronic cough, pulmonary fibrosisand more.
When did you last think about your lungs? Take the Lung Health checklist at www.justonebreath.com.au.
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