Respiratory illnesses affect almost 30 per cent of Australians and not enough money is devoted to its research, according to the nation's peak lung health organisations.
Respiratory illness will cost the Australian health system an estimated $4.5 billion this year and account for almost 15 per cent of deaths, but lung health researchers say they are negligently underfunded.
Lung Foundation Australia and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand have warned that efforts to address potentially life-threatening conditions, including asthma and lung cancer, will stall.
"Investing in research will reduce the burden of disease and improve the health of the millions of Australians, but it won't happen without funding, and right now, this is negligently low," TSANZ president Professor Peter Gibson said.
Both lung organisations are launching a research program in Perth on Saturday, called Lungs for Life, and are appealing to the public for funding.
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