Asthma affects 26.8 million people in the U.S., including 4.5 million children, and continues to drive millions of emergency visits, missed school days, and billions in healthcare costs each year.
This Asthma Awareness Month, the American Lung Association is advancing solutions through our Promoting Asthma Friendly Environments through Partnerships and Collaborations initiative—bringing together partners across healthcare, public health, and communities to improve asthma outcomes, especially for those most impacted.
Asthma can be managed, and better outcomes are possible when people have access to the right education, care, and support.
Join us this May to take action.
Why It Matters
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that makes it harder to move air in and out of your lungs—and it can start at any age.
Triggers like respiratory infections, allergens, poor air quality, smoke, and extreme heat can worsen symptoms and lead to serious attacks. Nearly 40% of people with asthma report at least one attack each year.
But asthma does not affect everyone equally. Children, people living in poverty, and many racial and ethnic communities face higher rates, worse outcomes, and greater barriers to care. Addressing these disparities is critical to improving lung health nationwide.
Our Approach:
Turning Evidence into Action
The American Lung Association’s work is grounded in proven strategies from the CDC’s EXHALE framework, which focuses on:
- Optimizing clinical care
- Smoking cessation
- Home and environmental interventions
- Linkages to care
- Population-level strategies
Through our Asthma Friendly Environments initiative, we are helping communities apply these strategies to:
- Improve asthma control
- Reduce emergency visits and hospitalizations
- Expand access to effective, evidence-based care
- Strengthen coordination across healthcare and community systems
Get Involved This May
Learning Opportunities
Whether you are living with asthma, caring for someone who is, or supporting others professionally, education is essential.
Highlighted programs include:
Asthma Awareness Webinar Series
Join free webinars throughout May to hear from experts and learn practical strategies to improve asthma care:
Building Clinical Linkages with Asthma Care Partners
Asthma Medication in Schools: Back to the Basics
Treating Persistent Asthma: Putting your Patient on the Right Therapy Using the Stepwise Charts
Asthma Action Plan
Healthy Schools & Clean Air
Asthma is a leading cause of missed school days—making healthy indoor air essential.
Through initiatives like the Clean Air School Challenge, schools can:
- Reduce asthma triggers
- Improve indoor air quality
- Create healthier learning environments
Advancing Equity in Asthma Care
Asthma disproportionately impacts certain communities:
- Black individuals face higher prevalence and death rates
- Puerto Rican populations experience among the highest asthma rates
- Underserved communities face greater exposure to triggers and barriers to care
Our work focuses on closing these gaps by expanding access, improving education and strengthening systems of care where they are needed most.
Get Support & Stay Connected
Join the Movement
By aligning community, clinical, and public health efforts, we can improve asthma outcomes nationwide and ensure everyone has the opportunity to breathe easier.
Learn more about Promoting Asthma Friendly Environments through Partnerships and Collaborations at Lung.org/afe or by emailing Asthma@lung.org
Page last updated: April 16, 2026
