Nationally and internationally, the burden of ill health from acute and chronic respiratory disease remains high in Indigenous populations. 

In the Northern Territory, respiratory illness is the most frequent reason for hospitalisation of young children (<5 years) and preventable cause of death of Indigenous infants (five times that of non-Indigenous infants).

Chronic Supprative Lung Disease (CSLD) is an important cause of chronic respiratory illness in remote Aboriginal children and adults.  Wet or moist cough is always associated with airway secretions and is a common symptom in CSLD. 

Once developed little is known about the clinical course of this disease in this population. The factors associated with disease progression and deterioration in lung function is also unknown.

Resources that have been developed by our research group can be found on Menzies Child Health Resources page and on the LungInfoNet

• BIS Multi-centre Bronchiectasis study: A collaborative and international study of Bronchiectasis in Indigenous children
• BEST  Multi-centre randomised controlled trial to improve the management in children with bronchiectasis
• MSCAPE  Multi-centre evaluation of a clinical pathway for chronic cough in children – can it be used to improve clinical outcomes?
• ASAP Anti-Smoking Asthma Program  program for schools – a pilot study
• ABIS Improving the management and outcomes for infants hospitalised with Bronchiolitis 
• ABIS2 Randomised controlled trial of azithromycin to reduce the morbidity of severe bronchiolitis in young Indigenous children
• Cough Assessment Study Observational study comparing a history of cough as a symptom
• FLUTE Burden of influenza and other respiratory viruses among Aboriginal children in the Top End
• Bronchiolitis Severity Scoring Tools Study
• Immune function of children with Bronchiectasis
• Airway Bacteriology of Children with Bronchiectasis
• Bronchiolitis Flip Chart-Citation 
• Vitamin D Study