Environmental burden of disease from unsafe and substandard housing, New Zealand, 2010-2017.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the burden of disease related to unsafe and substandard housing conditions in New Zealand from 2010 to 2017. METHODS: We focused on substandard housing conditions most relevant for New Zealand homes: crowding, cold, damp or mould, and injury hazards linked to falls. We estimated the population attributable fraction using existing estimates of the population exposed and exposure-response relationships of health disorders associated with each housing condition. We used government hospitalization data, no-fault accident insurance claims and mortality data to estimate the annual disease burden from the most severe cases, as well as the resulting costs to the public sector in New Zealand dollars (NZ$). Using value of a statistical life measures, we estimated the indirect cost of deaths. FINDINGS: We estimated that illnesses attributable to household crowding accounted for 806 nights in hospital annually; cold homes for 1834 hospital nights; and dampness and mould for 36 649 hospital nights. Home injury hazards resulted in 115 555 annual accident claims. We estimated that direct public sector costs attributable to these housing conditions were approximately NZ$ 141 million (100 million United States dollars, US$) annually. We also estimated a total of 229 deaths annually attributable to adverse housing and the costs to society from these deaths at around NZ$ 1 billion (US$ 715 million). CONCLUSION: Of the conditions assessed in this study, damp and mouldy housing accounted for a substantial proportion of the burden of disease in New Zealand. Improving people's living conditions could substantially reduce total hospitalization costs and potentially improve quality of life.

The Children's Anti-inflammatory Reliever (CARE) study: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial of budesonide-formoterol as sole reliever therapy in children with mild asthma.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, many of whom are managed solely with a short-acting ß2-agonist (SABA). In adults, the evidence that budesonide-formoterol as sole reliever therapy markedly reduces the risk of severe exacerbations compared with SABA alone has contributed to the Global Initiative for Asthma recommending against SABA monotherapy in this population. The current lack of evidence in children means it is unknown whether these findings are also relevant to this demographic. High-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are needed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of as-needed budesonide-formoterol therapy compared with as-needed salbutamol in children aged 5 to 15 years with mild asthma, who only use a SABA. METHODS: A 52-week, open-label, parallel group, phase III RCT will recruit 380 children aged 5 to 15 years with mild asthma. Participants will be randomised 1:1 to either budesonide-formoterol (Symbicort Rapihaler®) 50/3 µg, two actuations as needed, or salbutamol (Ventolin®) 100  µg, two actuations as needed. The primary outcome is asthma attacks as rate per participant per year. Secondary outcomes assess asthma control, lung function, exhaled nitric oxide and treatment step change. A cost-effectiveness analysis is also planned. CONCLUSION: This is the first RCT to assess the safety and efficacy of as-needed budesonide-formoterol in children with mild asthma. The results will provide a much-needed evidence base for the treatment of mild asthma in children.