California Breathing: Addressing Asthma from a Public Health Perspective
09/2002 -

California Breathing is a program of the California Department of Public Health that addresses the burden of asthma through a holistic, public health perspective by promoting the strategies outlined in the Strategic Plan for Asthma in California. Please visit www.californiabreathing.org to learn more about this program and  the Strategic Plan for Asthma in California .

California Breathing works to achieve and maintain: (1) a focus on asthma-related activity within the state; (2) an increased understanding of asthma-related data and their application to program planning; (3) an increased recognition of the potential to use a public health approach to reduce the burden of asthma; (4) linkages of the state with many agencies and organizations addressing asthma in California; and (5) implementation of interventions to achieve positive health impacts, such as reducing the numbers of deaths, disparities, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, school or work days missed, and limitations on activity due to asthma.

California Breathing is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and through an allocation of Proposition 99 funds.  Major program areas include:

• Asthma surveillance: the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of health-related data to describe the burden of asthma in California
• Schools and childcare: education, training and policy recommendations to improve these environments for children with asthma
• Partnership-building: collaboration between asthma organizations, government agencies, coalitions, researchers and others to help reduce asthma in California
• Asthma disparities: reducing racial/ethnic disparities in asthma burden through grant programs, education, training and policy recommendations
• Housing: improvement of  indoor air quality in homes through policy analysis, grant programs, training and fostering partnerships
• Work related asthma:  surveillance, education, and policy recommendations to improve the work environment as it relates to asthma

California Breathing provides technical assistance and data services to support local efforts to implement the Strategic Plan for Asthma in California.

California Breathing convenes and manages the Califiornia Asthma Partners (CAP).  CAP is a broad-based group of asthma experts and physicians from community-based organizations, advocacy groups, universities, government entities, school districts, environmental groups, coalitions, hospitals and clinics. CAP works to facilitate comprehensive solutions to asthma prevention and management and to improve the health and the quality of life for Californians with asthma.