Asthma Awareness Week is coming — 5 to 9 May 💙 — and we’re calling on all New Zealanders to help shine a light on a condition that affects over 700,000 people across the country. Every 2.5 minutes, someone in Aotearoa experiences an asthma attack. Emergency departments are seeing more and more people struggling with asthma and other respiratory conditions — and many of these visits could be prevented with the right support.
At Asthma NZ, we’re working every day to reduce the burden of respiratory disease. Through our Respiratory Educators, we provide free, practical education and support to people living with asthma and COPD. We work in homes, schools, rest homes, and communities to help people understand their condition, manage their symptoms, and stay out of hospital.
This Asthma Awareness Week, we’re raising awareness — and raising funds — to keep these vital services free for those who need them most. Whether it’s practical advice, online tools, face-to-face education, or home assessments, our services are flexible, accessible, and focused on helping people breathe easier — wherever they are.
But we can’t do it alone.
Your support helps us reach more families, train more health professionals, and respond to the growing respiratory health needs across Aotearoa — especially in Māori, Pasifika, and low-income communities where asthma hits hardest.
👉 Help us spread the word.
👉 Help us keep our services free.
👉 Help us breathe easier — together.
Stay tuned for informative content, helpful resources, and simple ways you can get involved this Asthma Awareness Week.