Central California Asthma Project
The
Central California Asthma Project (CCAP) is a partnership of the
San Joaquin Valley Health Consortium,
American Lung Association of Central California and the
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research
Institute.
The CCAP was formed from community-based partners
as a forum for the exchange of information and resources to
control asthma among groups and individuals in the counties of
Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare.
Asthma Facts
Asthma has risen over 75% worldwide over the
last 10 years.
Over 15 million people in the United States are
diagnosed with asthma, including almost 5 million children and
estimated 2.3 million who are under five years of age.
Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease
among children, making it the third ranked cause of hospitalization
among children under the age of fifteen.
Asthma is the leading cause of school
absenteeism, accounting for 10 million lost school days, 12 million
bed rest days, and 24 million restricted activity days per year.
Asthma treatment costs an estimated $6.4
billion annually in the United States.
In California, hospitalizations for asthma cost over $350 million
each year.
Impact
A patient who has poorly controlled asthma is
often absent from school or work.
Disturbed sleep from nighttime asthma symptoms
can decrease productivity at work for parents and at school for
children.
Time lost from school due to asthma may
negatively impact academic achievement, self-esteem, and future life
successes.
History
In 1990, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
identified Fresno County as consistently having one of the three
highest asthma death rates in the United States. In 1993, the Fresno Asthma Project was established to address this
issue under a grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
(NIH/NHLBI). In 2000, the Central California Asthma Project, with continued funding
from The California Endowment and NIH/NHLBI, expanded to include the
entire San Joaquin Valley by providing public, professional and
patient education in an effort to control asthma. |