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Our 2020-21 Impact

Looking at our impact the last 12-18 months, there's a lot to be proud of. Lung Foundation Australia launched the Hope Research Fund; expanded support services and introduced the Mind Matters mental wellbeing program; developed an internationally recognised COVID-19 digital information hub; created tools and resources for occupational lung disease and vaping; delivered new online clinical education programs; launched high profile awareness campaigns and a new, interactive Lung Health Checklist. Read more about what we have achieved together, thanks to our incredible supporters and partners.

Giving hope in every breath

For 31 years we have been the trusted lung health charity working towards a future free from lung disease and lung cancer, our nation’s second leading cause of death. Since 1990, thanks to our generous community, we have raised and invested over $40.9 million in life-changing research. We have been at the forefront providing meaningful support, driving policy change and increasing awareness to give hope to the 1 in 3 Australians impacted by lung disease or lung cancer.

Pictured: Parents Georgie and Shaun with their daughter Eve, who lives with a rare lung disease.

Global spotlight on lung health
COVID-19 challenged the world & changed nearly every facet of life. It placed enormous pressure on our resources but we worked hard to keep the community & our supporters informed, connected and safe. With your help we have emerged stronger & more focused on our Mission, to help Australians with lung disease & lung cancer live their best life. Read the full Chair & CEO message via the Report.
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Supporting patients and carers

Empowering through information and support

Throughout this year our Information and Support Centre team have provided 3,222 people with education and guidance to help them live their best life. 902,944 people were connected with hundreds of life-changing resources, support services and programs via our website.

Creating a community

Peer support offers invaluable connection and understanding for people living with lung disease and lung cancer, their families, and carers. Our peer support program expanded significantly with 849 people connected with one of our groups which span across 10 conditions. These groups meet face-to-face, online, and over the telephone as well through one-on-one meetings.

Expert nurse support

Our expert nurses support people to navigate the often-challenging health system and arm them with the tools to live well with their condition. More than 600 people living with lung cancer and chronic lung conditions connected with information and guidance through our free nurse-led telephone support service. Data shows people who participate in the program report significant improvements in self-management strategies.

Navigating the pandemic

Our internationally recognised COVID-19 digital information hub supported our community through the unique challenges and isolation of the pandemic. In 2020 we formed a COVID-19 Expert Working Group to collaborate on the development of an internationally recognised digital information hub to meet the needs of our community through the pandemic. In 2021 we aided the establishment of a support group for Australian’s living with long-COVID and will continue working with leading experts to develop resources and information for this ever-growing community.

Increasing research investment

This year we were proud to launch the Hope Research Fund, our 10-year commitment to driving life-changing lung disease and lung cancer research. This Fund forms part of our mission to become one of the nation’s leading investors in lung health research, with the goal to raise $50 million by 2030 to support ground-breaking discoveries in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The Fund launched in April 2021 with over $9 million invested through major gifts and bequests. With money raised through the generosity of the community and together with our partners, our renowned research program continued to drive advancements by funding innovative research projects and fostering collaboration with leading Australian researchers. Together, we achieved the following.

Awarded 11 Hope Research Fund grants

$1,964,814 to support research advancements

Collaborated with 28 research institutions

Data collection and clinical trials

After 10 years of successful operation, the Australian Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Registry is being finalised. Recognised as an international leader, the Registry has had over 860 participants, the data has informed 19 publications in peer reviewed journals and 66 papers.

The Australasian Interstitial Lung Disease Registry will continue to drive greater research impact with a broader focus beyond IPF. More than 20 sites are participating across both Australia and New Zealand, with over 2,000 registry participants.

The Australian Bronchiectasis Registry is the only registry worldwide to hold longitudinal data on both adult and paediatric patients with bronchiectasis. It was established to facilitate epidemiological research in bronchiectasis and drive improvements in quality of care for patients.

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Australasian Clinical Trials Network endorsed and listed 7 new clinical trials, with more trials underway than ever before. The Consumer Advisory Group was formed to provide invaluable consumer input for researchers at all stages of the research process.

Research to us means the world. It gives families such as ours and all families caring for someone with lung disease hope.
Shaun, Eve's father (pictured above with wife Georgie and Eve)

Driving lung health policy changes

Government funding was secured to deliver recommendations made in the National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions. This includes: 

  • Support and resources for those impacted by Occupational Lung Disease and chronic cough in children. 
  • Funding to support the early scoping of the national targeted lung cancer screening program. We support this program, led by Cancer Australia, as it is a critical step to improving early diagnosis and outcomes for Australians living with lung cancer, with an estimated 12,000 lives to be saved in the first 10 years.
  • $1.4 million in funding to deliver lung health education and training for healthcare professionals to support better patient outcomes through early diagnosis and referral.  

Pictured: Georgia, living with lung cancer, and her family.

Find out more

Raising the profile of lung health

$6.5 million+

raised by nearly 4,400 supporters to help deliver on our Mission. Our supporters include donors, community fundraisers, trusts and foundations, corporate partners and incredibly generous gifts in Wills.

10.2 million+ Australians

reached through our public health campaigns to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung disease and lung cancer, and the importance of protecting against vaccine preventable disease and viruses.

357 million+

people reach via 6,114 national earned media stories about lung health.

24,484 people

accessed our new, interactive online Lung Health Checklist.

PRIME Awards

2020 NGO of the Year & Best use of Data and Insights for Lung Cancer Search and Rescue

Supporting best-practice patient care and support

Underpinned by evidence-based guidelines and informed directly by the needs and lived experience of our consumer community, our clinical programs are designed to translate research into practice for Australia’s lung health workforce and support improvements to the quality of care provided to people living with lung disease and lung cancer. Our national network of clinicians and health professionals generously donated almost 1,000 hours of their time, through the COVID-19 pandemic, to support us in the design and implementation of evidence-based guidelines, clinical resources, community of practice forums and education. Together we have achieved:

  • 3,000+ healthcare professional registrations for learning sessions to educate and upskill the workforce. 
  • 14,199 engaged health professionals 
  • 20 clinical committees and networks 
  • 225,400+ views on our 2 clinical toolkits

Pictured: Michelle, living with bronchiectasis, her son Max and husband Phillip.

Thank you

We are grateful to our community of healthcare professionals, researchers, and consumers for your gifts of time, expertise, experience, voice, and generous donations. To all our donors, supporters, and government and non-government partners for believing in our Mission to provide life-changing lung health and lung cancer research, thank you. It’s you who enable Australians with lung disease and lung cancer to live their best life.

Read our full 2020-21 Impact Report View More

Best Workplace Award 2020

Lung Foundation Australia was proud to receive a Voice Project’s Best Workplace Award. This award recognises organisations that have achieved exceptional levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

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Cultural Competency Training

Lung Foundation Australia staff completed cultural competency training through the Centre of Cultural Competence Australia (CCCA). This training was made possible through the Queensland Community Fund. To find out more about CCCA training visit the link below.

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