Each week, Louis Dettorre will provide the PublicCEO Staff Report of the Week. Nominate yourself or a colleague by e-mailing ldettorre@publicCEO.com This e-mail address is being Protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Modesto City Council will name May Asthma Awareness Month in their next meeting on May 1st. Stanislaus Counties’ Asthma Coalition mission is, “to create an Asthma-friendly community by promoting awareness, education, management and prevention”.

Currently, Stanislaus County ranks in the worst 25 counties in the US for some air quality measures. Read the proclamation here.

According to the proclamation that will be read in next week’s council meeting, the asthma epidemic has reached an overwhelming amount of the United States with over 25 million recorded American cases.

The report goes on to claim that asthma is the leading cause of childhood hospitalizations, long-term illness and school absenteeism, accounting for nearly 11 million missed school days and nearly 15 million missed days of work each year.

The 2009 California Health Interview Survey estimates that approximately 100,000 people in Stanislaus County has been diagnosed with asthma. Nearly 60,000 residents and 23,000 children (about 3 out of 20) suffer daily in the county.

“The Health Services Agency, the Asthma Coalition, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are encouraging Americans to identify and reduce their exposure to environmental triggers in homes and schools, and incorporate environmental controls into their Asthma management plans” the report said.

Over 90 representatives from the community, providers, health plans, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, County and City schools, and the Central California Asthma Project established an Asthma Coalition in 2004 to develop a Strategic Plan for Asthma in Stanislaus County.

Each week, Louis Dettorre will provide the PublicCEO Staff Report of the Week. Nominate yourself or a colleague by e-mailing ldettorre@publicCEO.com This e-mail address is being Protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.