Victorian kids suffering asthma attacks could avoid 75,000 emergency hospital admissions through education and support according to a new report.

'It is horrifying to think that asthma affects about one in six Australian children,' Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said launching the report with Collingwood's Heath Shaw—who, with brother and fellow Magpie Rhyse, is asthmatic—at Collingwood College.

Ms Pike said in 2004/05 there were 300,000 attendances of children treated for asthma in hospital emergency departments across the State, 75,000 of which were avoidable.

'The Government-funded Community Asthma Program (CAP) has helped children and their families manage their asthma by providing education and support about this chronic condition.

'And we are now providing $860,000 more for CAP through the Government's Hospital Admissions Risk Program (HARP).

'Through the program, we have also found that children who received CAP education were 25 per cent less likely to return to emergency departments for their asthma.

'Many of these treatments could be avoided if parents and children were better educated about the child's condition, medication, the need for follow-up care and the importance of avoiding triggers.'

CAP was developed by Dianella Community Health and the Royal Children's Hospital in 2002.

It forms part of HARP which aims to reduce hospitalisation for chronic health conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

Children and their families are referred to the Community Asthma Program by their GP, local hospital or school.

'Through CAP, we could see significant improvements in asthma health,' Ms Pike said.

'This included asthma severity, asthma control, quality of life of children and families, asthma-related knowledge and hospital emergency presentations and admissions.