Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools - Asthma Education Program

Location:
701 E. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., P.O. Box 30035
28202 Charlotte , NC
North Carolina
The Asthma Education Program is a collaborative initiative between Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the Mecklenburg County Health Department, and is a funded by a collaborative agreement with Centers For Disease Control and Prevention/Division of Adolescent and School Health (CDC/DASH). The goals are to create a safe, supportive learning environment; increase student participation in academic and school activities; improve attendance; and build lifelong self-management skills for children with asthma.

Asthma is the number one chronic disease among students in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Over 6,500 students in CMS have been
diagnosed with asthma. Asthma also is the number one reason for school
absence for children with chronic diseases nationally, with over 10
million days missed per year.

In addition to keeping children out of school, asthma also has a
detrimental effect on participation and performance in academics and
physical activities. Students with asthma may lose sleep because of
nighttime coughing and be lethargic or inattentive during class time as a
result. They may shy away from physical activity, fearing that it may
trigger an asthma attack, or may fail to take their medication because
they do not want to be seen as “different.” This often leads to
embarrassment, frustration and isolation.