Advocating for children with food allergies and asthma is a great way to spread awareness during National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. We invite you to help us take action on Local Advocacy Action Day!
When creating policies, lawmakers need to consider what families managing food allergies and asthma need to live full, healthy lives. Around 4.3 million children and 16 million adults in the U.S. have food allergies. Nearly 26 million people have asthma. And because these are related conditions, many children may have both.
These numbers show us how many people in the U.S. are managing food allergies and asthma. But they don’t show the impact these diseases have on families, their quality of life, and their communities.
We need more than just health care policies. We need lawmakers to consider the health of children with food allergies and asthma in all policies. We need action in our local communities too. People managing food allergies and asthma need the following to live healthy and full lives:
- Safe food
- Affordable, accessible, quality health care
- Clean air
- Healthy homes
- Financial stability
- Education
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) – the parent organization of Kids with Food Allergies (KFA) – advocates often on behalf of people managing food allergies on various issues.
For example, AAFA has been actively advocating for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider the need for more epinephrine options. AAFA will be giving an oral testimony on May 11 during the public advisory committee meeting of the Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee.
Our presentation will focus on the current burden of food allergies in the United States and how a nasal epinephrine device would benefit the food allergy community. People with food allergies – as well as allergies to substances like drugs, insect bites and stings, and latex – must have epinephrine with them at all times. For decades, the only option for giving epinephrine has been with an auto-injector or device that has a needle.
One way you can take action today is by contacting your state legislators using our simple tool. By filling out this form, you will send a pre-drafted email to your state legislators to help raise awareness in your local community. You can edit this email to incorporate your personal story or to share why you advocate.
You can also choose to post your message on Twitter. Then sign up to receive Advocacy Action Alerts so you can continue to help us advocate for people with food allergies throughout the year.
Sign up to receive KFA’s Advocacy Action Alerts!
Would you like to help us advocate on future issues that affect people with food allergies? Join our online community. Not only will you receive Advocacy Action Alerts, but you’ll also be able to talk with other people managing food allergies on our support forums. You’ll also get alerts about other news about managing your conditions, research, and more.
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