||Children’s National Recognizes World Asthma Day May 1, 2012
Washington, DC—World Asthma Day (WAD) will be held on May 1,
2012, to raise awareness about asthma and breathing problems
around the world. WAD is organized by the Global Initiative for
Asthma, a collaborative project of the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute. Asthma is one of the most common chronic
diseases, with an estimated 300 million individuals affected
worldwide. Its prevalence is increasing, especially among
children. Asthma rates in the District of Columbia are higher
than the national average – in fact, 10,000 of the District's
children under the age of 18 have asthma. Children’s National
Medical Center manages and supports many programs to help
children in the metropolitan region who suffer from asthma, and
a major focal point is preventing the need for children to go to
the emergency room. The IMPACT DC Asthma Clinic at Children’s
National, an emergency department-based asthma care source,
treats children for episodic care, prov