Asthma is a chronic long-term lung disease that is known to affect more than 22 million people in the United States – nearly 6 million of these people being children. Children have higher asthma rates than adults, and in particular, African American children have a 60 percent higher prevalence of asthma than White children.

Asthma can't be cured. For that reason, safety net health systems have developed innovative, comprehensive, community-based treatment programs to help patients better manage their disease, have fewer symptoms and related emergency room visits, and to live normal, active lives.