Clinicians from across the country will meet with Congressional representatives on Wednesday, May 4, to advocate for legislation that supports care for asthma and allergy patients.
“Our goals of the day are to raise awareness and educate policymakers about the issues facing the more than 60 million Americans living with allergies, asthma and related conditions,” Tonya Winders, MBA, president and CEO of Allergy & Asthma Network, told Healio.
Patients, caregivers and other asthma advocates will join doctors in the annual event, which Allergy & Asthma Network has hosted for the past 26 years. They will rally under the theme of “Access, Affordability and Innovation” while promoting the Elijah E. Cummings (EEC) Family Asthma Act, the Safe Step Act and legislation targeting care for long COVID.
The EEC Family Asthma Act would provide $65 million to the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program to expand care for underserved communities with asthma across all 50 states and in Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Also, the bill would direct the CDC to collaborate with local and state health departments to educate the public about asthma and require states to develop plans for addressing asthma, particularly in communities bearing the highest asthma burdens.
