Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for and controlling asthma, food allergies, nasal allergies and other allergic diseases. AAFA's mission is also to educate the public about these diseases. AAFA's motto is "for life without limits" and AAFA represents the 70 million Americans with asthma and allergies.

AAFA was founded in 1953 to address the growing prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in the United States. [ "About AAFA" History and Background http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=10 ] AAFA's activities include: (a) funding basic scientific research to help search for cures; (b) conducting public education to promote national awareness of these diseases; and (c) advocating public policies with a goal of improving the quality of life for patients. AAFA has a network of state chapters throughout the United States. AAFA also has a number of local support groups for asthma, food allergies and a variety of other specific allergic conditions.

AAFA is funded by contributions from the public, along with gifts and grants from foundations and government agencies as well as charitable donations from private sector groups. [ AAFA Annual Report and 990 IRS tax filings http://www.aafa.org/pdfs/AAFA%20AnnualReport04_lo_CONSOL.pdf ] AAFA administers the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program in the U.S., sponsors Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month each May and also conducts research to identify the Asthma Capitals and the Allergy Capitals (spring and fall rankings), the most challenging places to live in the U.S. with asthma and allergies. AAFA has also developed a variety of asthma and allergy health education programs, that have been validated through formal research to help improve health outcomes for patients. [ CDC Site: Validation of AAFA Edudational Intervention http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/interventions/act.htm ]

External links

* [http://www.aafa.org AAFA homepage] - nonprofit patient advocacy organization.
* [http://www.asthmaandallergyfriendly.com Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification] - international product testing and certification program.
* [http://www.MyFoodAllergies.net MyFoodAllergies.net] - online resource for people with food allergies.
* [http://www.asthmacapitals.com Asthma Capitals] - annual research and rankings of the "most challenging places to live with asthma."
* [http://www.allergycapitals.com Spring Allergy Capitals] - annual research and rankings of the "most challenging places to live with spring allergies."
* [http://www.allergycapitals.com Fall Allergy Capitals] - annual research and rankings of the "most challenging places to live with fall allergies."
* [http://www.plungeforlungs.com Plunge for Lungs] - AAFA's annual awareness and fundraising events hosted by swimming clubs nationwide.
* [http://www.sleepworkplay.com Sleep-Work-Play] - online resource about allergic asthma and how to improve quality of life issues for asthma patients.
* [http://www.allergyactionplan.com Allergy Action Plan] - online resource about seasonal allergies and how to recognize, diagnose, prevent and treat the disease.
* [http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=10&sub=26&cont=457 National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month]
* [http://www.TransitionNow.org Transition Now!]
* [http://www.readytogopro.com Ready to Go Pro] - The NBA's Asthma Education Program with AAFA.
* [http://www.StateHonorRoll.com State Honor Roll of Asthma & Allergy Policies for Schools]

References

Sources

* “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” CDC National Center for Health Statistics, February 24, 2006, [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5507a7.htm 55(07);185]

* “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” CDC National Center for Health Statistics, February 27, 2004, [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5307a1.htm 53(07):145-8]