Skip to content Respiratory disorders are major causes of
illness and death in the Indigenous population and contribute to
high rates of hospitalisation and mortality. (See Box 1for a
description of the different kinds of respiratory disorder.)
One-third of Indigenous people reported in the 2001 National
Health Survey (NHS) that they had a long-term respiratory
condition  and respiratory conditions were responsible for more
than one-seventh of hospital separations (excluding those for
renal dialysis and pregnancy-related conditions) 1. One in 12 of
the deaths and one in 10 of the excess deaths of Indigenous
people living in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia,
and the Northern Territory in 1997–99 were attributed to
respiratory disease  . As with many other disorders afflicting
Indigenous people, the high morbidity and mortality from
respiratory disorders are related to their poor environmental
and socioeconomic conditions, exacerbated, in some cases, by
less than optimal medical management. After