The Power of Community and Healthier Indoor Spaces
Throughout May, we will be sharing weekly articles, showcasing how Certified products help reduce triggers in everyday spaces, and celebrating the partners and patient advocates working to create healthier indoor environments for everyone.
As we step into May, we are proud to mark the start of Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of the millions of families living with these conditions every day. Since 1984 the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has used this month to educate the public about respiratory and immune health, risk factors and symptoms, and the treatment and management options available to those affected.
This year, AAFA’s focus is on the power of community. As they remind us, asthma and allergies are not managed in isolation. They are shaped by where we live, the air we breathe, and the people around us. A strong community of support, including family and friends, healthcare teams, schools, employers, neighbors, advocates, and lawmakers, makes a real difference: better day-to-day symptom management, healthier and more inclusive spaces at home, school and work, access to more treatment options, and stronger protections that improve quality of life.
The scale of the challenge is significant. In the United States alone, more than 106 million people live with asthma and/or allergies, including 28 million with asthma, 22 million with food allergies, and 82 million with nasal allergies. Behind every one of those numbers is a person, a family or a caregiver navigating triggers in their everyday environment.
This is where the Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certification Program plays its part in that wider community of support. Through rigorous, science-backed testing, we work with leading manufacturers to certify products that have been independently proven to reduce exposure to allergens and irritants. From the air we breathe to the surfaces we touch, Asthma & Allergy Friendly® Certified products help families create healthier indoor environments at home, at work, and at school.
Throughout May, we have a packed schedule of new content lined up. Each week we will publish articles exploring the role of Certified products across the categories that shape indoor air quality and trigger exposure, including paint, air purifiers, HVAC filters, treated carpet, bedding, laundry machines and detergents, cleaning products, flooring, whole home air cleaners, vacuum cleaners, and insulation. We will also turn the lens on healthier workplaces and schools, two of the spaces where so many of us spend the bulk of our time.
May is also home to several important observances that align with our mission. World Asthma Day on May 5th brings the global community together to focus on better asthma care. Clean Air Month and National Building Safety Month run throughout May, reinforcing the importance of indoor air quality and the building materials and systems that shape it. We will be weaving these themes through our content all month long, alongside a special announcement with our partner Kleenex thanking the patient advocacy organizations whose collaboration makes this work possible.
Join us as we share insights, celebrate our Certified partners, and highlight the practical steps that individuals, families, and communities can take to make indoor spaces healthier for everyone. Let’s make this Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month a time of education, connection, and meaningful change.