* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: President Rawlings-Blake
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
May - Asthma Awareness Month & May 6 - World Asthma Day
FOR the purpose of joining the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in celebrating May as Asthma Awareness Month in the national effort to raise awareness and educate people about comprehensive asthma management; endorsing the efforts of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the World Asthma Day initiative to call attention to the need for better global asthma treatment and control; and recognizing the Baltimore City Health Department for the comprehensive asthma treatment services it offers to the citizens of Baltimore City.
Body
Recitals
Asthma is a serious, life-threatening respiratory disease that affects over 20 million Americans. Rates of asthma have risen sharply over the past 30 years, particularly among children ages 5 to 14. Although there is no cure, asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental asthma triggers such as secondhand smoke, dust mites, mold, cockroaches and pests, and household pets.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reports that in Maryland, as a whole, asthma and its complications continue to disproportionately affect the very young, the elderly, African-Americans, low-income individuals, and individuals in certain jurisdictions, particularly Baltimore City – where residents consistently have the highest asthma prevalence and asthma-related emergency department visit, hospitalization, and death rates.
In 2004, the rate of asthma-related emergency room visits was almost 3 times higher for City residents compared to the rest of the state; in 2006, 13% of adults in Baltimore City reported having been diagnosed with asthma during their lifetime; 24% of high-school students reported having been diagnosed with asthma compared to 17% of students nationwide, in 2005; and during 2000-2004, deaths due to asthma in the City accounted for 31% of all asthma deaths in Maryland although the City residents comprise only 11% of the state population.
The Childhood Asthma Program of the Baltimore City Health Department combats asthma proactively by providing care coordination and home visiting to high-risk children, ages 0- 6, who have been referred by pediatricians, school staff, or other healthcare providers. The Program works to ensure that children with asthma are connected to a medical source that can provide appropriate health care and information to parents to help manage their child’s asthma. Home visits are conducted to assess for environmental triggers that may exacerbate the asthma and to provide tools, such as mattress covers and air filters, that can lessen the problem.
Baltimore City residents and their families will do well to celebrate May as Asthma Awareness Month by embracing the theme of World Asthma Day, May 6, 2008 – “You Can Control Your Asthma” – by educating themselves about the disease, addressing the environmental triggers in their homes, and getting the appropriate treatment to effectively manage the disease for themselves and those they love.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body joins the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in celebrating May as Asthma Awareness Month in the national effort to raise awareness and educate people about comprehensive asthma management; endorses the efforts of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the World Asthma Day initiative to call attention to the need for better global asthma treatment and control; and recognizes the Baltimore City Health Department for the comprehensive asthma treatment services it offers to the citizens of Baltimore City.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health, and the Mayor’s Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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dlr 08-0229~intro/30Apr08
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