The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health www.med.wisc.edu, a $70 million grant to continue efforts to help the Inner-City Asthma Consortium (ICAC) www.medicine.wisc.edu/asthma/icacmain.
The ICAC is a nationwide clinical research network to evaluate and develop promising new immune-based treatments to reduce the severity of asthma in inner-city children and to lead research efforts.
According to recent estimates by CDC www.cdc.gov, there are more than 25 million people nationwide diagnosed with asthma with seven million being children. Since 2001, asthma in the U.S has increased 2.9 percent each year and now costs the U.S. about $56 billion annually, which includes costs for medical expenses, loss of work and school, and premature deaths.
ICAC studies are expected to provide effective strategies for treatments and provide data on the safety and efficacy of novel approaches to treat asthma attacks when children return to school after vacations.
More than $1.75 million has been allotted for another project, to improve outcomes for asthmatic older adults and children living in high risk communities with documented health disparities. Funding was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph.
“Asthma is a significant public health problem in the Commonwealth,” said, Department of Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett, RN. “This funding will enable Massachusetts to help vulnerable populations in innovative ways. The goal is to test pioneering models to deliver home-based care for older adults with asthma and to increase local policies to improve home and school environments for children with asthma.”
The DPH funds are going to be used to create a pilot study to improve the lives of asthmatic adults. The pilot study “Reducing Older Adult Asthma Disparities” will test a home-based model aimed at strengthening healthcare provider and insurer support.
The pilot will enroll 80 to 150 adults primarily of Black or Hispanic ethnicities and persons older than 65. The pilot will enable community health workers, visiting nurses, pharmacists, and primary care teams to visit homes.
The funding will also enable DPH to promote smoke-free and integrated pest management programs in multi-unit dwellings and promote school-based wellness policies to focus on improving school indoor air quality and asthma management in six of the highest need communities in the Commonwealth.