Removing environmental triggers reduces the need for asthma medications.
Boston Urban Asthma Coalition The Coalition was honored for its efforts to improve indoor air quality in the Boston Public Schools.
B
eginning with the flu epidemic of 1918, the Boston Foundation has
provided major funding to fight disease and promote health and wellness. Over the years, it has targeted tuberculosis, polio, AIDS and infant mortality, along with the health-related effects of hunger and homelessness. In 2001, the Foundation gave $70,000 in start-up funding to the Boston Urban Asthma Coalition (BUAC), a consortium of residents, community organizations, government agencies, medical professionals and others who were alarmed by the rising prevalence of childhood asthma within the low-income communities of Boston. Initially focused on improving the environmental conditions of public housing, the Coalition also began advocating to remove mold, pests and other asthma triggers from the city’s schools. In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored BUAC for its “exemplary efforts to improve air quality within Boston public schools.” It is now a program of Health Resources in Action.
H e a l t h & We l l n e s s
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