At the end of 2020, we held the hope that 2021 would be better. But 2021 didn’t bring the end of the COVID-19 epidemic like we hoped. And many of the issues we faced in 2020 carried through 2021.

But 2021 did bring some positive change. Three COVID-19 vaccines became widely available. The Biden administration and Congress took steps to improve climate impacts. Organizations, including the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), expanded action to improve health and racial inequities.

Great strides were also made for the asthma and allergy community. We saw our hard work pay off with two major advocacy wins that came largely from AAFA’s advocacy efforts.

Your support made this happen. You gave generously to make sure people with asthma and allergies can have better quality of life.

In 2021, you helped us:

• Host 31 Days of Action for National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month that included updated shareable graphics, asthma and food allergy Twitter chats, TikTok Knock-Out Myths video series, educational webinars, and our first Remembrance Day
• Continue to educate patients, caregivers, and health care workers on new asthma guidelines, asthma management, and respiratory illnesses through our Community Health Interventions to Advance Self-Management of Asthma (CHI-ASMA) program
• Co-host two externally-led patient-focused drug development (PFDD) meetings – one on childhood asthma and one on food allergies – to share the reality of managing these diseases with the Food and Drug Administration and other stakeholders for the development of better treatments
• Participate in the coreASTHMA project to develop standardized outcomes for clinical trials
• Focus on health equity for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous Americans and continue to raise awareness about our Asthma Disparities in America Report
• Team with Komodo Health to promote racial health equity research in asthma and record a video series of public service announcements
• Partner with National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) to organize an Asthma Advisory Board to share data to improve the Asthma Index
• Support the AAFA Severe Asthma Program clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital – the program received the 2021 National Environmental Leadership in Asthma Management Award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Publish our 2021 Allergy Capitals™ and 2021 Asthma Capitals™ reports to help people recognize, prevent, and manage asthma and allergy symptoms and understand how where they live may impact their conditions
• Participate in the Census Bureau’s The Opportunity Project (TOPx) by providing patient end-user recommendations on COVID-19 diagnostic tools and present at the TOPx Solutions Showcase
• Participate in the Flu Advisory Council led by Families Fighting Flu to develop the Flu Advisory Toolkit
• Work with IMPACT DC Asthma Clinic at Children’s National Hospital and Tarkett to provide 24,520 square feet of their CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® flooring to homes in underserved and at-risk communities
• Promote guidelines-based asthma care for military service members who develop asthma while in service
• Influence the passing of two laws that will protect school children with asthma and allergies and improve food allergy research and sesame labeling
• Hold our first Advocacy Action Day where more than 300 AAFA community members contacted their Senators and Representatives to share the impact of asthma and allergies and highlight what people with asthma and allergies need to live healthy and full lives
• Host a Zoom-In on Health Equity so patients and advocates from across the U.S. could let Congress know what policies can help improve the lives of people managing allergic diseases
• Meet with the EPA on climate change and air quality
• Award asthma & allergy friendly® certification to Renegade’s SWEAT-X Free and Clear laundry detergent – the first laundry detergent to earn the certification
• Translate several of our asthma and allergy educational handouts into Spanish
• Launch our Ask the Allergist searchable knowledge base with the most common questions people have submitted, along with their responses
• Continue to educate the asthma and allergy community about COVID-19 and vaccines
• Revamp the School Resources on our AAFA and Kids With Food Allergies websites
  
  

What will 2022 look like? At AAFA, we feel it is full of potential. More people are beginning to see the impact of asthma and allergies and want to see change. And we know that’s because of your generosity. That serves as a beacon of hope.

Your year-end gift to AAFA will give us momentum going into 2022 and to support and continue our life-saving support, advocacy, education, and research initiatives. AAFA is committed to a better 2022 for people with asthma and allergies. Will you help us?

SUPPORT AAFA'S MISSION NOW