VIENNA, VIRGINIA (NOV. 16, 2018) – Allergy & Asthma Network, the leading national patient education and advocacy organization dedicated to ending needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions, and the Severe Asthma Foundation are joining forces to raise awareness, knowledge and research in severe asthma.
The two nonprofit organizations will combine resources to bring to light the prevalence of severe asthma and help educate patients, caregivers, healthcare providers and advocates about this debilitating, life-threatening disease.
“We are proud to unite with the Severe Asthma Foundation to support those affected by severe or uncontrolled asthma,” says Tonya Winders, President and CEO of Allergy & Asthma Network. “Severe asthma is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and by leveraging our strengths and expertise, we can empower patients to get a complete diagnosis and develop treatment and management strategies alongside their doctor to achieve the best outcomes.”
Asthma affects more than 334 million people globally, including 25 million in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 Americans die every day from asthma or asthma-related complications.
The Severe Asthma Foundation estimates that 7 percent of asthma patients worldwide experience severe symptoms or are undiagnosed with severe asthma. Severe asthma involves common symptoms of the disease – chronic coughing and wheezing, difficulty breathing and chest tightness – but they occur at a higher frequency and intensity despite the use of high-dose controller medications.
“All asthma is NOT the same – it’s a multifaceted disease and it’s important that patients with chronic, recurring symptoms consult with their asthma specialist,” says Donna Jean Matlach, President and co-founder of the Severe Asthma Foundation and a severe asthma patient herself.
“By joining forces with Allergy & Asthma Network, the Severe Asthma Foundation will be working closely with a like-minded organization, reaching out globally to raise awareness of severe asthma and discover better ways to manage and treat the disease – and perhaps one day find a cure,” Matlach says.
“We look forward to working with Allergy & Asthma Network to encourage patients to be their own best advocate – and to never give up striving to live their best life possible,” adds Brenda Young, Vice President and co-founder of the Severe Asthma Foundation and also a severe asthma patient.
The Severe Asthma Foundation was founded in 2015. With severe asthma increasingly recognized as a major unmet need, the foundation’s mission evolved into working with patients, healthcare providers and researchers to increase recognition of the disease, provide educational resources and fund research.
The Severe Asthma Foundation’s website – SevereAsthmaFoundation.org – will remain in operation. Allergy & Asthma Network’s website is located at AllergyAsthmaNetwork.org.
About Allergy & Asthma Network
Allergy & Asthma Network is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. Allergy & Asthma Network specializes in sharing patient-friendly, medically reviewed information through its award-winning Allergy & Asthma Today magazine, E-newsletter, AllergyAsthmaNetwork.org website and numerous community outreach programs.
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