Contact: Colleen Roche/Brenda Perez (212) 788-2958
Sandra Mullin, DOH (212) 788-5290
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today, proclaimed Friday, December 11 as World Asthma Day. Joining the Mayor were Deputy Mayor Ninfa Segarra, Department of Health and Mental Health Commissioner Neal L. Cohen, M.D., Special Advisor to the Mayor for Health Policy Dr. Rosa Gil, NYC Council Member Ken Fisher, Arlene Schneider, M.D., President of the American Lung Association of Brooklyn; and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Antonia Coello-Novello, who also announced the formation of a National Hispanic Medical Society to address the high prevalence of asthma in the Hispanic community nationwide.
"Over the past five years, we have been making revolutionary changes in the way the City meets the health care needs of New Yorkers," Mayor Giuliani said. " It's a work in progress, but through our proactive efforts, and through improved preventive and primary care, we are reaching out to people in their communities. The result is a healthier City for all of us.
"One example of these efforts is our wide-ranging initiative to reduce the effects of childhood asthma. The Health Department's New York City Childhood Asthma Initiative is a citywide effort to help families and children with asthma take control of their health. Through a public education campaign, an asthma information line, outreach to medical providers, and collaboration with the schools through the Board of Education, our administration is addressing this public health issue on several fronts," the Mayor concluded.
Dr. Cohen said, "Asthma is the number one reason for school absences attributed to chronic conditions. Through partnerships with organizations like the American Lung Association, we are successfully implementing programs in the schools like Open Airways, which teaches third graders how they can manage and prevent asthma attacks. This program and our New York City Asthma Initiative are making great contributions toward helping children lead healthier, more active lives."
Since 1996, Health Department school nurses taught the Open Airways for Schools curriculum to over 5,000 children in about 600 public elementary schools. Preliminary analysis showed that on average, students who participated in the program missed two fewer school days per year.
Deputy Mayor Segarra said, "Today, on World Asthma Day, we must raise a huge rally cry about the disease. We must continue the work begun by our Mayor, in cooperation with the American Lung Association, the New York City Department of Health and the Board of Education, to expand our Open Airways Program to reach kids in our public schools and teach them how to deal with asthma in a positive way. Together, we can successfully combat urban asthma."
The New York City Childhood Asthma Initiative is an innovative public health approach to address asthma by mobilizing community partners including medical providers, schools, day care, property owners, managed care companies, afterschool programs, and several government agencies including the New York City Housing Authority, the Fire Department, and the Department of Youth and Community Services.
New York City's first community-based asthma resource center opened this summer in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, and planning groups have been established in East Harlem and Greenpoint/Williamsburg. These groups are working to support the implementation of comprehensive programs linking doctors' offices with schools, homes, and community centers. In addition, the City is working closely with community leaders, health care providers, and community-based organizations to spread understanding about asthma and help communities to implement asthma interventions.
Dr. Gil said, "We have initiated these efforts because too many children go to emergency rooms because of asthma incidents. Health experts agree that hospital visits can be minimized with better asthma management. It is for this reason that education is a key component of our strategy."
The Health Department has established a toll-free telephone line for parents and other New Yorkers who want instant information about asthma: 1 (877) 278-4620 or TTY (212) 442-1802 in English and Spanish to answer questions. The Asthma Action Line is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00pm.