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People in the ACT will be the first to see the roll-out of ‘AirSmart’ following a funding announcement by the ACT Government today.
Funding of $39,500 has been awarded by the ACT Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions, The Hon Shane Rattenbury under the Community Zero Emissions Grant Round Six to Asthma Australia for the AirSmart public education campaign and live air quality app, set to roll out next financial year.
Asthma Australia CEO Michele Goldman said AirSmart aimed to do for air quality what SunSmart has done for sun exposure.
“We welcome the support by the ACT Government for AirSmart, Australia’s first public education campaign and app for air quality,” Ms Goldman said.
“We hope this marks the start of a significant change in Australia, the way SunSmart has imprinted on generations.
“AirSmart will help people better understand the health risks of air pollution and know how to respond in real-time.
“It will be especially useful for people with asthma and other health conditions but ultimately this will benefit the whole community,” she said.
AirSmart has been developed by Asthma Australia alongside an expert advisory committee in response to the 2019/2020 bushfire air quality crisis and subsequent government inquiries.
During the bushfires, Canberra’s air quality plummeted to the worst in the world at 20 x hazardous on 1 January 2020, posing a serious health risk.
The AirSmart campaign and app were piloted during July and August 2022 in regional areas including the ACT, NSW and VIC. The pilot was enabled through funding from philanthropy, community funding, and the NSW Government.
Asthma Australia is actively seeking funding from other states and territories to bring this life-changing campaign to all Australians.
People can learn more about AirSmart at www.airsmart.org.au
- Read more on our website here: https://asthma.org.au/air-quality-action/
- For more information or case studies, please contact Corrine Barraclough, Media & PR Manager via email at cbarraclough@asthma.org.au or on 0435 346822.
- ABOUT Asthma Australia:
Asthma Australia is the nation’s peak body representing 2.7 million Australians living with asthma. We’ve been here since 1962 and even though a lot has changed since then, asthma continues to claim a life each day and is the number one health condition burdening Aussie children. Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the airways, restricting airflow and can be fatal. There is no cure, but most people with asthma can experience good control.