News Releases from Region 06

EPA Administrator Visits Childrens Health Group in Dallas

DALLAS - (April 10, 2015) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy recently visited health professionals working to address childhood asthma in the Dallas area. With 60,000 children in Dallas County diagnosed with asthma, the disease represents a significant public health issue for the area.

"Preventing childhood asthma attacks takes research, education, and outreach, with a strong network of partners to make it happen," said Administrator McCarthy. "By working together we can reduce exposure to triggers and improve the health of children everywhere."

"Nine percent of all children in Dallas-that's 60,000 kids- suffer from asthma," said Cheryl Boswell, executive director of The Health & Wellness Alliance for Children, sponsored by Children's Health. "The current state of our children's health and wellness is not good - and it's getting worse. Thanks to over 100 powerful and influential Alliance community partners, we are determined to measurably improve our kids' health."

"With over half a million children in Texas alone with asthma, there is a real need to educate the public on the impact that housing and the environment can have on the health of our children," said Peter Roberts, executive vice-president of population health at Children's Health. "Children's Health is proud to be partnering with the Environmental Protection Agency, Dallas City government and many others through the Health and Wellness Alliance for Children to address environmental issues on behalf of our children."

The Health and Wellness Alliance for Children, at Children's Health, has made asthma education and prevention a priority. The Alliance has convened a group of 25 local organizations from many sectors to improve the overall health and well-being of children in the Dallas area. EPA works with the group to raise awareness of the link between health and housing, using the agency's Healthy Homes principles. EPA has also collaborated with the Alliance on housing-related training events for code inspectors, hospital staff, case workers and legal professionals.

Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening chronic respiratory disease that affects almost 25 million Americans, including about 7 million children. Although there is no cure for asthma yet, it can be controlled through medical treatment and managing environmental triggers. EPA is committed to educating all Americans on how the environment can affect asthma patients and how to manage environmental asthma triggers.

More about asthma and environmental triggers: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/about.html

More about children's environmental health: http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/children/index.html

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