Asthma and Allergy Foundation Releases Free Program for Asthma Educators, Now Available in Spanish

More than 3 Million Hispanics in the US Have Asthma, Spanish-Language Education is Critical to Reduce the Asthma Burden

Washington, DC (PRWEB) September 25, 2015

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has created a Spanish-language version of its Wee Breathers? program, which is designed to educate families and young children about asthma care and prevention.

Asthma is a growing concern in the Hispanic community, especially for Puerto Ricans who have the highest rate of asthma attacks and asthma prevalence, 80% higher than non-Hispanic whites. AAFA is dedicated to ensuring that people with asthma have access to educational resources to help reduce the burden of this chronic disease. Wee Breathers? in Spanish is designed to reach people who are disproportionately affected by asthma and may have low English-language proficiency.

?AAFA is pleased to release this important educational resource to help address the burden of asthma on Hispanic populations, and especially on children. We are optimistic that increased availability of family and patient education materials will help improve self-management and ultimately asthma outcomes,? says Meryl Bloomrosen, AAFA?s Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy and Research.

Wee Breathers? is a flexible and interactive program used by asthma educators to families of preschool-age children. The program curriculum consists of seven one-hour lessons, an instructor?s guide and two checklists for identifying asthma triggers in the home and in child care centers. Program handout materials are easy-to-read (6th-grade reading level or lower) and are now available in Spanish. Instructors for this program should be a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C), or other health professional experienced with pediatric asthma management.

Since young children spend most of their time at home or in other caregiver sites like child care centers, Wee Breathers? was designed to educate families one-on-one in their homes or with a group of parents in a child care setting. The program was developed and reviewed by an advisory team of asthma education professionals, then field-tested with experienced English- and Spanish-speaking asthma educators across the US.

Wee Breathers? in Spanish is made possible by a cooperative agreement between AAFA and the National Asthma Control Program of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All program materials are available free-of-charge at http://www.aafa.org/WeeBreathers.

About AAFA

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), a not-for-profit patient advocacy organization founded in 1953, is the leading patient organization for people with asthma, allergies, and related conditions. AAFA is dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients through education, advocacy, and research. AAFA provides practical information, community-based services and support through a network of regional chapters, support groups and other local partners around the United States. For more information, visit http://www.aafa.org.

Contact for Media:
Talisa White, MBA, External Affairs Manager
talisa(at)aafa(dot)org or 1-202-466-7643,x237

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/09/prweb12983844.htm