The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) award its Honor Roll distinction to eight states this year for reacting to childhood asthma.
Eight states received this year’s Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) Honor Roll distinction. The recognitions came about through an AAFA report which annually analyzes which states are providing the most inclusive and reputable public policies in support of sufferers of asthma, food allergies, anaphylaxis and other comparable conditions in American elementary, middle and high schools. The goal of the report is to provide a template for other governing agencies on how to better serve its children who are afflicted with breathing-related illnesses.
The report specifically targets policies revolving around medications and access to care in school environments. Asthma is the leading cause of school absences in regard to chronic illnesses, leading to approximately 12 million days missed annually. Roughly 7 million American children have asthma, a number which has contributed to hundreds of yearly deaths and billions of dollars of expenses due to direct costs and losses in productivity. The eight states to win the commendation this year were Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. Mississippi and West Virginia were new additions and Indiana was the only state to not return from last year’s list of honor roll winners.
With specific regards to policy, 2014 saw continued attention focused on schools receiving authorization to stock medications for severe allergic reactions on their premises. Twelve new states passed laws which allow schools to keep epinephrine auto-injectors on hand in case of an emergency. Conversely, there has still been little success experienced at the state level regarding nurse to school ratios, leaving 25 percent of all schools without a full-time nurse.
Along with advocating for public policy to protect our children from the negative effects of severe asthma attacks, investing in affordable air purifiers is another effective option. If you’re looking to acquire the best air purifier for allergies, contact US Air Purifiers Direct 2U today!