One in seven children in Aotearoa, New Zealand, has asthma, which accounts for more than 10% of all GP consultations for children, 325,000 asthma-related prescriptions, and 3,000 hospital admissions annually.  

Most children in New Zealand rely on short-acting relievers like Ventolin or Respigen to treat their asthma.  While these inhalers quickly relieve symptoms they do not address the underlying airway inflammation. On the other hand, the 2-in-1 inhaler containing both a steroid and a long-acting reliever (Symbicort) treats airway Inflammation and relieves symptoms with each use.

The MRINZ changed global practice when it conclusively showed, that in adults the 2-in-1 Symbicort inhaler reduces the risk of a severe asthma attack by up to one-half compared with salbutamol reliever inhaler use.

The START CARE study will determine if the benefits of Symbicort reliever seen in adults also apply to children. If the results of the START CARE study are comparable, then the findings have the potential to change practice and markedly reduce the burden of childhood asthma in New Zealand and globally.

This potentially world-changing research, led by the MRINZ, aims to help kids everywhere, particularly tamariki here in Aotearoa,  which has some of the worst asthma rates in the world.