Congressman Brendan Boyle, representing Pennsylvania’s 13th congressional district, has expressed that he will support the designation of May as “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month,” a commitment that has been shared by various members of congress including Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, Congressman Eliot Engel, and Congressman Gregg Harper.
Congressman Boyle has continuously been a supporter of the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program and in 2016 awarded the CEO of Allergy Standards, Dr. John McKeon, a congressional citation as congratulations for reaching the 10th year anniversary of the Program. He has also pledged support and involvement with various healthy home initiatives that the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program is planning with its client partners to raise awareness and education in managing asthma and allergy triggers.
The awareness and support of Congress will be instrumental to educate and inform the millions of Americans affected by asthma and allergies on effective treatment and management of ‘triggers’ which are most commonly found in the home environment. The designation of May as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month will help the certification program partners build a platform for messaging around this issue in 2018 and beyond.
Dr. John McKeon (left), Congressman Brendan Boyle (center) and Courtney Sunna
About Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
May is peak season for allergies and for asthma, two of the most common and dangerous chronic diseases in America. Each year, asthma causes more than 3,000 deaths and 1.9 million emergency room visits, and one in five Americans suffers from allergies.
As part of its mission of spreading awareness about controlling asthma and allergies, Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month promotes recognition of these diseases’ heightened prevalence among children, women, minorities, and urban demographics. It also recognizes the importance of trained educators and community members in identifying, treating, and managing asthma and allergies, as well as the medical professionals who help families to develop asthma and allergy management plans.
More than 25 million Americans currently have asthma, and over seven million are children. The numbers of children and adults who suffer from asthma and allergies have risen steadily over the past years.
Awareness and education are truly the keys to reducing asthma and allergy morbidity and mortality. For example, fewer than half of people with asthma report being taught how to avoid triggers. Many don’t know how to properly use their medications. We still have a long way to go to educate people.