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Asthma

Asthma

 Asthma
is the number one cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness,
accounting for 10 million lost school days annually.

Approximately
6 million children under 18 years of age have known cases of asthma.
The estimated annual cost of treating asthma in those under 18 years
of age is $3.2 billion. This does not include indirect costs such
as lost wages, substitute fees, and loss of school days. In 1990,
the total costs for asthma was $6.2 billion.

Children spend
up to eight hours a day in the school building; thus a healthy indoor
environment is crucial in the management of asthma. By implementing
the EPA’s IAQ
Tools for Schools Action Kit, schools can improve IAQ for
all students, most especially for those with asthma, by reducing
their exposure to pollutants that may cause or trigger asthma. The
EPA has recently developed a publication entitled IAQ Tools for
Schools: Managing Asthma in the School Environment, which clearly
shows the link between the indoor environment and asthma. This publication
provides general information on asthma, specific facts on common
asthma triggers found in schools, suggested action items from the
IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit for asthma management in schools,
and information about additional asthma resources. If you are interested
in obtaining a copy of IAQ Tools for Schools Managing Asthma
in the School Environment (EPA Document # EPA 02-K-00-003) call
IAQ INFO at 1/800-438-4318 or e-mail [email protected]
.

To address asthma
in schools, the NEA HIN works with the National Heart Lung and Blood
Institute’s National Asthma Education and Prevention Program’s School
Asthma subcommittee.