Surveillance, patient education programs, and research funding are critical to improving health outcomes for people with asthma and allergic diseases

Washington D.C., May 22, 2025 —The following statement may be attributed to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s (AAFA) President and CEO Kenneth Mendez:

“We appreciate the growing attention to the chronic disease burden faced by our community. There are an estimated 28 million people in the United States with asthma, of which 5 million are children. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, about 1 in 3 adults and 1 in 4 children in the United States have a seasonal allergy, food allergy, or eczema.

Take asthma, for example – this chronic disease requires proper understanding and care. Asthma is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and swelling of the airways. AAFA believes in getting the right diagnosis and treatment quickly. We recommend seeing a board-certified specialist trained in allergic or pulmonary disease.  When asthma is caught and treated early, it prevents costly hospital visits and stops lung damage that can become permanent or even life-threatening.

Assessment and early diagnosis of allergic disease can prevent unnecessary emergencies, work and school absenteeism, and morbidity. Achieving better health outcomes requires strong support for programs that focus on environmental interventions, patient education, and chronic disease surveillance. This focus improves health outcomes, lowers health care costs, and helps people remain active at work or school. That’s why AAFA supports continued funding of the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program, which reduced asthma mortality by 41%. AAFA also advocates for greater access to well-trained specialists who are best equipped to manage and treat asthma and allergies. Continued federal investment, through NIH and other mechanisms, is essential to advancing research into the developmental origins, causes, and treatments of asthma and other allergic diseases.”

For more information about the critical funding needs of the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program (NACP) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH): https://community.aafa.org/blog/urgent-action-needed-to-protect-our-community