Asthma Education and Management

Asthma Alliance of North Carolina

The Alliance is a statewide partnership of local and state government agencies, academic institutions, local asthma coalitions, non-profits and private industry working collaboratively to address asthma.

The mission of the Asthma Alliance of NC is to reduce asthma morbidity and mortality for all people in North Carolina through a comprehensive public health approach.

The Asthma Alliance of North Carolina was born out of another statewide asthma initiative-the North Carolina Childhood Asthma Management Task Force. In 1998, the state health director onvened the Task Force in response to the rising number of children with asthma symptoms. Its charge was to assess pediatric asthma and recommend ways to more effectively address this isease from both state and local levels. The resulting Task Force report has been the foundation for building a comprehensive, cohesive system of care for children and adults with asthma.

In the spring of 2000, the Task Force broadened its focus to include adult asthma, established a more formal organizational structure, and hanged its name to the Asthma Alliance. It serves as an "umbrella" group to ensure coordination and collaboration amoung the many asthma-related organizations in this state. One partner, the NC Division of Public Health, hired a program coordinator to move the Allance forward and strengthen the relationships between this statewide effort and local initiatives.

Seven committees form the backbone of the Alliance-Asthma Education, Environmental, Epidemiology, Local Coalitions, Medical Management, Policy, Public Relations/Marketing. Alliance members work in committees centered around education for health professionals and patients, ameliorating environmental asthma hazards, changing public and private asthma related policies, collecting data, and building local asthma coalitions.