The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) recently worked with Komodo Health to highlight ethnic and racial disparities in asthma. Komodo Health analyzes data to create a Healthcare Map™ that gives a more precise view of the U.S. health care system and aims to help reduce the burden of disease.

Komodo Health, with AAFA’s help, put together the report, Evaluating Links Between Asthma Outcomes and Racial Composition of Major U.S. Cities. The report built on findings from AAFA’s Asthma Disparities in America report and AAFA’s 2021 Asthma Capitals^® report.

The goal of AAFA and Komodo Health’s report is to better understand racial disparities in asthma care. It looks at the racial makeup of several major cities and data on asthma-related health care use over the past two years.

“The unequal burden of asthma mostly experienced by Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous Americans is in large part driven by systemic racism and discrimination,” said Sanaz Eftekhari, Vice President of Research at AAFA. “The root causes of racial and ethnic disparities in asthma are well-documented. What’s needed are real policy solutions. This requires partnerships in all sectors to tackle these egregious challenges where they begin. Making a difference and achieving equity is possible as long as stakeholders work together to prioritize this work, along with significant investment in funding for more effective interventions and the will for change.”

Findings from the report include:

• Black communities sought more emergency asthma care
• New Orleans was the epicenter of asthma emergency department visits
• Overall emergency department visits for asthma declined
  
  

Komodo Health also interviewed Kenneth Mendez, CEO and President of AAFA, for their video series, “For the Health of It.” In two videos, Kenneth and Bill Evans, Komodo Health’s Chief Marketing Officer, talk about the burden of asthma among Black Americans and what can be done to address it.

• Part 1: Addressing Health Disparities in Asthma Care
• Part 2: Leveraging Data and Dispelling Myths to Improve Asthma Outcomes
  
  

“The health disparities we see in the asthma community prove that our systems have historically failed racial and ethnic minority populations and other marginalized groups in America,” Kenneth said. “We’ve seen this in COVID-19 and a long list of other diseases, too. We must solve these injustices: it's the right thing to do and it will save society billions of dollars through better health outcomes. Promoting health equity is a core focus for AAFA. We’re pleased to be teaming with platforms like Komodo Health to drive education and advocacy in support of this critical goal.”