Senator Tom Harkin Helps Protect CDC’s National Asthma Control Program

(June 15, 2012)—

The American Lung Association in Iowa is delighted by the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations’ recognition of the vital role the National Asthma Control Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plays in the lives of Americans living with asthma.  Earlier today, the Senate Appropriations Committee again voted to keep the National Asthma Control Program as a stand-alone program and maintained its funding level of $25.3 million for fiscal year 2013.

The American Lung Association led a coalition of health partners who strongly opposed the Obama Administration’s proposal to eliminate the program.  In February, a joint letter was sent to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate urging them to support and protect this program. 

“Asthma is a significant public health problem in the U.S. and in Iowa. We applaud Senator Tom Harkin for his leadership in protecting the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program,” said Micki Sandquist, Executive Director of the American Lung Association in Iowa.

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies is expected to consider funding for the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program on June 20.  The American Lung Association in Iowa asks Congressman Tom Latham to support the National Asthma Control Program as a separate, stand-alone program and to fund it at $25.3 million again in FY13. 

Since its inception in 1999, the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program has ensured a coordinated public health response that focuses on people at greatest risk from this disease.  Since 1999, mortality and hospitalizations due to asthma have decreased even though asthma prevalence has risen, which likely indicates a better level of disease management.  Unfortunately, it also means more people than ever will need assistance in understanding and controlling their disease.

“As asthma rates continue to rise, this vital program is more important than ever to keep our children safe and help people better understand and manage their disease,” said Ms. Sandquist.

Asthma affects more than 82,000 adults, including more than 33,000 children in Iowa. Nationally, it is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15 and is a leading cause of school absences from chronic disease – accounting for more than 10.5 million lost school days in 2008.  Asthma costs our healthcare system more than $50.1 billion annually and indirect costs from lost productivity add another $5.9 billion, for a total of $56 billion dollars annually.  Asthma claims the lives of almost 3,500 Americans each year, or approximately nine people per day.