The Importance of Physiotherapy in ACCHOs
The 8th World Bronchiectasis Conference took place in Brisbane from 14 – 17 July. Delegates from across the globe came together, for the very first time in the Asia-Pacific region, to unite under the common purpose of improving the lives of people with bronchiectasis. Attendees included patients, advocates, researchers, nurses, clinicians, industry leaders, physiotherapists and allied health professionals, including our own Team Leader – Allied Health Philippa Cotter.
Phil was invited to give a presentation at the conference, joining Lilo Oka Sanerivi (from New Zealand) to speak about Physiotherapy with First Nations people. Phil’s focus was on adult care, while Lilo covered child care.
Phil’s presentation promoted the importance of physiotherapy in ACCHOs. She collaborated with Preston Mapuyu, who provided an Aboriginal client perspective via video. Preston told his lung story and talked about how much attending the DDHS gym group had improved his breathing and health. Preston talked about inequities in access to services in his own words:
“I want to educate people about how many Yolŋu are in the community that need this.”
Following the presentation, Phil joined three other representatives from Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia for a Round Table discussion on Clinical experiences from the Asia and Oceania regions, chaired by Rebecca Keating (Australia) and Yong-Hua Gao (China).
Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease that occurs when the tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs are damaged. This damage causes the tubes to widen and weaken permanently, leading to a chronic cough, excessive mucus buildup and recurrent infections. Bronchiectasis often follows a severe or recurrent lung infection, airway obstruction or inflammatory process. A common cause is recurrent chest infections, and Aboriginal people in the Top End have one of the highest prevalences of it in the world.
2025 has seen some pivotal advances in bronchiectasis diagnosis and management, with a growing focus on multidisciplinary care and allied healthcare professionals playing a central role. We’re grateful to Phil for attending this conference and contributing to the ideas, collaboration and planning efforts of everyone in attendance.
