World Asthma Day & Asthma Awareness Month

(May 3, 2011)—

May 3rd is World Asthma Day and May is Asthma Awareness Month, and we have created a special landing page on LungUSA.org to highlight the American Lung Association's asthma-related work and resources. Additionally, we are using the timeliness of this month to draw attention to a current federal advocacy issue that could potentially affect people with asthma in many U.S. States.

The American Lung Association and a dozen other public health organizations will be sending a letter to Congress on May 3, expressing our strong support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Asthma Control Program. Unfortunately, the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2012 proposes a merger of the National Asthma Control Program with the Healthy Homes/Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, and debilitating cuts to both budgets by over 50 percent.

In the letter, the American Lung Association and our partners will ask Congress to ensure that CDC's National Asthma Control Program remains a stand-alone program and receives an appropriation of $31 million for Fiscal Year 2012. We believe that this will give the program adequate resources to continue its work to reduce the burden in U.S. caused by asthma.

We will be issuing a press release about our concern with these potential budget cuts on the morning of May 2. A draft will be sent to chartered association communications and advocacy staff later today. We encourage state Lung Associations to localize the national release with any state-based impacts you anticipate as a result of the potential budget cuts and would be happy to work with you in advance.

We will also issue an e-alert on May 3rd asking our e-advocates to contact their Members of Congress in support of continued full-funding for the National Asthma Control Program.

As a side note, the CDC will be releasing its latest Vital Signs on Wednesday, May 3. We expect that it will include recent data and calls to action around the issue of asthma, and provide more information to help us in our advocacy work around the disease.

Finally, we are excited to announce that the Lung Association will be benefiting from some celebrity star power this month. Tony Award-winning stage and screen actress, Anika Noni Rose, who has suffered from asthma for nearly two decades, is lending her support to improve asthma awareness and care throughout the country.

Ms. Rose, who is currently guest starring on CBS' The Good Wife, will be announcing the Tony Award nominations in New York City during the morning of May 3, after which she will be conducting media interviews and tweeting to her fans and followers about her personal journey with asthma and why funding the National Asthma Control Program is important.

For more information on any of these topics, please contact the following individuals at the Lung Association's national headquarters:

National Policy & Advocacy:
Erika Sward
email:  esward@lungusa.org

Media Relations:
Carrie Martin
email:  cmartin@lungusa.org