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Emergency visits for asthma higher for kids in Melbourne's inner west
Media release
7 May 2026
Asthma related hospital emergency visits are up to 50% higher for children living in Melbourne’s inner west compared to Victorian children overall, new research shows.
The Deakin University-led study, published in the Australian Journal of General Practice analysed 12 years of Victorian hospital data, from 2007 to 2019, and surveyed more than 500 parents of children from inner west communities
Study lead Dr Yichao Wang, Research Fellow from Deakin Lifespan Institute, said the research found that childhood asthma-related visits to hospital emergency departments were 26-53% higher in the local government areas (LGAs) of Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay and Brimbank, compared to Victoria as a whole.
Protecting kids from pollution-linked asthma
‘Melbourne’s inner west has long been recognised as a hotspot for both air pollution and high adult heart and lung hospitalisations, but we didn’t know if this trend extended to impacts on children,’ Dr Wang said.
‘The findings highlight an urgent need to reduce environmental triggers, such as air pollution, and improve support for asthma care.’
The study used state-wide administrative data from emergency department visits to assess asthma presentation rates across all Victorian LGAs, with a particular focus on Melbourne’s inner west. Parents participating in the Breathe Melbourne Project - an Australian-first citizen science study measuring children’s exposure to air pollution on their school commute - were also asked about the challenges they face seeking asthma care for their children.
The parent survey highlighted both strengths and gaps in asthma care in the community. Parents identified general practitioners, pharmacists and emergency departments as the most helpful sources of support but also reported substantial barriers to effective community-based care.
Co-author on the study, Dr Katherine Chen, a Paediatrician at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) and Research Fellow from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), said parents frequently described fear during asthma flare-ups, difficulty accessing GPs, and concerns about medication side effects.
Closing the gap in childhood asthma care
‘Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease in Australia, yet both its prevalence and management vary widely across communities,’ Dr Chen said.
‘Parents understandably become frightened when managing their children’s asthma flare-ups at home, which can lead to avoidable emergency department visits.’
Dr Wang said two of the three inner west LGAs have higher socioeconomic status than the national average. This challenged the common assumption that communities with higher asthma risk are from disadvantaged areas.
‘It suggests other factors, such as access to primary care, quality of asthma care and environmental triggers like air pollution, viral infections, and pollen exposures, may play a more significant role than previously assumed.’
The researchers say the findings highlight an urgent need for coordinated action to reduce preventable asthma emergencies among children living in Melbourne’s inner west.
‘Improving access to primary care, and adherence to evidence-based guidelines, supporting caregivers through targeted education and community-based resources, and addressing environmental triggers are critical next steps to protect children in these areas,’ Dr Chen said.
‘Without these measures, children and families in these communities will continue to shoulder an avoidable health burden.’