New Zealand's asthma statistics are some of the worst in the world and it's even worse for children, with one in seven being affected by asthma.
A ground-breaking trial is taking place here in Aotearoa hoping to make their lives a lot easier.
Siblings Alec and Ronan Gall love their sport but sometimes it's a struggle because they both suffer from asthma.
"When I'm trying to play sports it's really hard to play because after a while of running around and shooting for basketball you just get really tired and you can't breathe," Alec told Newshub.
They rely on asthma inhalers and they're not alone. Almost 400,000 Kiwi kids use some form of asthma medication.
It's the most chronic condition among children globally.
A study by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ) found a two-in-one inhaler taken when needed has cut the risk of severe asthma attacks by almost a third, but the study only looked into adults.
"We simply do not have that level of evidence in children, and in my view that is not acceptable," MRINZ director Professor Richard Beasley told Newshub.
Prof Beasley has decided to do something about it.
"This is long overdue, and now we finally have a study that compares this new two-in-one inhaler with the standard blue inhaler in children with mild asthma and the results of this study will be unique and it will guide asthma management around the world."
The study involves a year-long trial involving 400 Kiwi kids aged between five and 15.
Prof Beasley wants to see more trials like these involving children across all areas of health.
"One of the deficiencies of clinical research is often the studies in adolescence and adults are not undertaken in children because it's considered too difficult, so there's often a real gap in the evidence."
A gap that's going to be bridged for young asthma sufferers.
Asthma sufferer Ronan said he is happy the study is being conducted.
"I know what it's like not being able to breathe and it isn't good, and knowing that other people might not have to feel that it feels good."
