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Southeastern Asthma Coalition

Mission Statement

The Southeastern Idaho Asthma Coalition has been established to help inform youth and adults about the symptoms and triggers of asthma. A special emphasis has been placed on asthma prevention and ways to successfully manage and control the onset of an asthma episode.

Asthma Facts

• Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways in the lungs. With asthma, the airways become smaller, inflamed, swollen and make extra mucus. These changes make it hard for air to flow in and out of the lungs.
• Nationally, 24.7 million people have been diagnosed with asthma by a health professional within their lifetime; more than a third of them (8.2 million) are children under the age of 18.
• Eleven percent or 96,000 Idaho adults are estimated to have had a diagnosis of asthma in their lifetime.
• Women are more likely to have a diagnosis of lifetime asthma.
• Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism.
• Children of asthmatic parents have a 25% greater chance of developing asthma than children of non-asthmatics. The difference goes up to 50% when both parents have asthma.
• The following indoor environmental exposures can lead a person to develop asthma: environmental tobacco smoke, dust mites, cockroaches, pet dander and molds.
• Outdoor environmental exposures such as pollen and molds can lead a person to develop asthma.

Goals

• Implement a curriculum into the school climate which provides students and parents adequate skills to successfully manage asthma.
• Increase public awareness about asthma symptoms and triggers.
• Educate policy makers about asthma.
• Create a network with other health-related organizations/agencies focusing on asthma.

What's In It For Me?

• Learn about issues related to asthma
• Share personal experiences with asthma
• Public networking
• Community involvement and community service learning
• Public speaking
• Leadership
• Resume building

Activities

• World Asthma Day
• Asthma Prevention and Control Month
• Pulmonary function testing during community events
• Asthma school curriculum implementation
• Asthma presentations on public access television
• Media exposure
• Service learning

How Can You Help?

• Become a Coalition Member
• Participate in World Asthma Day/Asthma Prevention and Control Month throughout the month of May
• Volunteer at a community event
• Present asthma information during a public access program or media interview
• Have information on asthma available at your office or school