Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Reaffirms Commitment to Protect Vulnerable Communities

On behalf of over 100 million people in the United States with asthma and allergic diseases, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is carefully monitoring and evaluating policy transitions that may affect our community’s health.

Asthma and allergies are chronic and potentially life-threatening conditions affecting almost every household: nearly 1 in 3 adults and more than 1 in 4 U.S. children have seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy. Asthma is the leading chronic disease in children (aside from dental cavities). In 2013, researchers estimated that asthma-related costs to society totaled $82 billion per year, a number sure to be higher today.

AAFA, founded in 1953, is the leading patient organization for people with asthma and allergies, and the oldest asthma and allergy patient group in the world.  With a track record spanning over 70 years and 13 presidential administrations, our organization is the trusted voice for the asthma and allergy community.  While each administration’s priorities differ, the priority of AAFA remains steady. Our mission is to save lives and reduce the burden of disease for people with asthma and allergies.

When new federal or state policies are proposed or enacted, we carefully analyze for potential impacts on our community. Sometimes, the immediate or long-term impacts are unknown, and so continued monitoring is required. AAFA pledges to act with integrity and provide the best information available.

AAFA’s work is critical to protect the health of children, adults, and seniors with respiratory or allergic diseases. Actions such as rollbacks of clean air protections or climate change mitigations, reduced federal funding and staffing for the HHS (FDA, NIH, CDC, CMS, OCR), elimination of programs that address health disparities, or efforts to reduce health care coverage all threaten vital safety nets and disproportionately affect our most vulnerable communities.

“AAFA provides a lifeline of support to help people with asthma and allergies,” states AAFA President and CEO Kenneth Mendez. “Our commitment to our community remains strong. As always, we endeavor to earn and keep the trust of our community and be an ally in their health.”

AAFA amplifies the voices of patients and caregivers from our community. We aim to empower people with asthma and allergies to champion policies that will improve their lives. Our membership in coalitions and alliances helps us build even stronger support for our community. AAFA’s commitment is unwavering: We will continue our fierce advocacy for policies and programs that protect the health of our community.

AAFA provides evidence-based information on a range of topics including asthma, seasonal allergies, food allergies, eczema, nasal polyps, eosinophilic esophagitis, and other allergic conditions. For more information, visit aafa.org and kidswithfoodallergies.org, or call 800-7-ASTHMA (800-727-8462).