asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program Improves Homes for 30 Low-Income Families

November 15, 2018 – Washington, D.C. –  The asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program, administered by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) in partnership with Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), is an independent program created to scientifically test and identify consumer products that support the need for people with asthma and allergy to make their home environment healthier. To raise awareness about the impact of asthma and the value of controlling the indoor environment, the program launched the Philadelphia Healthier Homes Initiative in collaboration with the Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). As part of this initiative, 30 families received CERTIFIED products to help improve their indoor home environment.

“A multitude of studies have now shown that poor indoor air quality in the home can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life for those with asthma and allergies. We are delighted to work with the CAPP program to get CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® products into the homes of those who need it most and help improve the quality of life for children like Ausada,” said Dr. Joey DeCourcey, senior scientific officer for Allergy Standards Limited. “Families can trust that products carrying the Certification Mark have been tested to our rigorous standards and can help create a healthier home environment.”

The short film highlights the asthma crisis in Philadelphia, the #4 Asthma Capital in the U.S. per AAFA’s 2018 report. In the documentary, five-year-old Ausada describes what it feels like to have asthma and her mother Aquila explains the first-hand fear of watching her child struggle to breathe. Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens, CAPP’s medical director, discusses the importance of controlling asthma and allergy triggers to improve asthma outcomes. The asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program gives families confidence to know that the products have been proven to improve indoor air quality and create a healthier home environment.

“Asthma attacks are a major source of ER visit among children across the U.S.,” states Kenneth Mendez, president and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. “Many moms and caregivers in our AAFA community know how stressful and scary it is to rush their child to the ER. We know that having a proper asthma action plan and being proactive with a healthier home environment can help reduce asthma attacks and ER visits.”

AAFA and ASL would like to thank Rabbit Air® and Protect-A-Bed®, for donating CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® air purifiers and bedding to 30 families in the Community Asthma Prevention Program.

About the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program
The asthma & allergy friendly®® Certification Program is a unique, groundbreaking collaboration between the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and Allergy Standards Limited. The program tests and certifies products to prove their suitability for people with asthma and allergies. The program works with retailers and manufacturers to offer consumers products for a #healthierhome. CERTIFIED products include air cleaners, flooring, paints, bedding, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, insulation, cleaning services and more. Visit aafa.org/certified for more information.