As many as 25 million Americans suffer from asthma, making it one of the country’s most common and costly health issue. On average, about eight percent of adults and 7 percent of children are affected. While there is no cure, it can be managed with a combination of medication and by reducing or avoiding exposure to irritants that can trigger asthma attacks, and a healthy indoor environment is key in this.

To help address this key issue, Johnson Controls announced that it has partnered with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Together, the pair will work to improve health outcomes for families managing asthma and allergies by raising awareness of the connection between indoor air quality and health.

“Our mission is to save lives and reduce the burden of disease for people with allergies and asthma,” said Kenneth Mendez, AAFA’s CEO and president. “We appreciate that Johnson Controls understands that clean, healthy air in indoor environments is one of the most important ways to reduce and prevent asthma attacks and allergy symptoms. We are grateful for the support provided by Johnson Controls to help AAFA with our programmatic work, especially in schools.”

Supporting Research and Advocacy for Asthma Management

Initial work between Johnson Controls and AAFA will include supporting the asthma and allergy community, collaborating on patient education and awareness as well as advocacy and public policy initiatives – including those to improve air quality in schools.

“Infrastructure spending in the U.S. for schools has lagged even as about one in ten students suffers from asthma or allergies, and we know that there is a significant disparity in air quality in low income and city areas where there is also heightened rates of respiratory illness,” said Ramaswamy.

“That makes it so much more critical that we help administrators apply recent infrastructure funding in the most effective way to help provide the best environments for students, teachers and school employees to learn and work,” he added.

Further details of the partnership between Johnson Controls and AAFA will be announced ahead of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in May 2022.