Asthma prevalence have stayed stable while asthma hospitalisations have increased

Posted 31 days ago by Helene Marsters Less than a minute to read

We have published the latest results from our Asthma surveillance report. This report combines information on the prevalence of medicated asthma in children aged 2–14 years and rates of asthma (including wheeze) hospitalisation among children aged 0–14 years in Aotearoa.

Here are the main findings:

  • In 2022/23, around 104,000 children aged 2–14 years were diagnosed with asthma and were currently taking asthma medication.
  • There were 7683 hospitalisations in children aged 0–14 years in 2022, the highest since 2001.
  • Children under five years old continued to have lower asthma prevalence but higher hospitalisation rates than other age groups. In 2022, the hospitalisation rate among 0–4 year-olds was 14 times higher than that of 10–14-year-olds.
  • Māori and Pacific children had a higher asthma prevalence than non-Māori and non-Pacific children in 2022/23. Additionally, Pacific children consistently had higher hospitalisation rates than other children since 2001.
  • Asthma prevalence and hospitalisation rates were higher in children living in the most deprived areas (NZDep 2018 quintile 5) than children living in the least deprived areas.
  • Children living in main urban areas had higher hospitalisation rates than children living in rural areas in 2022.
  • Auckland district had the highest asthma hospitalisation rate in 2022.

You can read the full surveillance report here.