World Asthma Day: Get Out for the Greater Good

April 29, 2009

May - Allergy and Asthma Month
May 5 - World Asthma Day
May 6 - Asthma Awareness Day Capitol Hill

World Asthma Day is May 5, and it’s the perfect time for respiratory therapists to get out in their communities and let people know more about this chronic lung condition.

This year’s theme is “You Can Control Your Asthma,” and the Global Initiative for Asthma has lots of wonderful ideas you can use to plan your events, including tips on selecting activities, recruiting support, gathering resources, and alerting the media.

As usual, the AARC will be at Asthma Awareness Day on Capitol Hill (an annual event planned by the Mothers of Asthmatics) on May 6. There we'll be testing and educating Congressional staff about asthma.

Here are just a few suggestions from the GINA web site:

• Organize a hike for people with asthma and their friends, using the occasion to educate the group about managing asthma in an outdoor environment.
• Produce a radio ad highlighting World Asthma Day, the meaning of asthma control, and strategies to improve control.
• Stage a meeting of primary care physicians and other health professionals to update them on the latest in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

But the resources don’t stop there. You can also take advantage of great asthma-related programs and materials right here at the AARC:

• Our brand new, online Peak Performance USA program is your opportunity to partner with local schools for asthma education.
• Our ARCF/EPA asthma courses provide free CRCEs for learning more about indoor asthma triggers and allergy testing and smoking cessation.
• Our Asthma Self-Management Education (ASME) program allows you to validate the high quality of your asthma program to patients, families, and third party payors. 
• Our Asthma Roundtable is your chance to connect with like-minded colleagues across the nation.
• Our public relations tools take you step-by-step through the process of getting media coverage for your events.

So start planning today for your World Asthma Day events on May 5, and let your community know respiratory therapists are there for asthma patients and their families all month long.