people in the United States had been diagnosed with 
asthma, including an estimated 6,200,000 children. 
(2) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, asthma usually affects racial 
and ethnic minorities, including African Americans, 
American Indians, Alaska Natives, Puerto Ricans, 
and people of multiple races more than non-Hispanic 
Whites. In 2017, Puerto Ricans and African Ameri-
cans had the highest lifetime prevalence of asthma 
at 20.6 and 15.2 percent, respectively. 
(3) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, among children, males have 
higher rates of asthma than females, and in adults 
women have higher rates of asthma than men. Indi-
viduals living below the poverty threshold also had 
significantly higher rates of asthma in 2017 than in-
dividuals living above the poverty threshold. 
(4) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, in 2017 more than 3,500 people 
in the United States died from asthma. The rate of 
mortality from asthma is higher among African 
Americans and women. 
(5) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention report that asthma accounted for approxi-
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mately 180,000 hospitalizations and 1,800,000 visits 
to hospital emergency departments in 2016. 
(6) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, the annual cost of asthma to 
the 
United 
States 
is 
approximately 
$81,900,000,000, including $3,000,000,000 in indi-
rect costs from missed days of school and work. 
(7) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, 5,200,000 school days and 
8,500,000 work days are missed annually as a result 
of asthma. 
(8) Asthma episodes can be triggered by both 
outdoor air pollution and indoor air pollution, in-
cluding pollutants such as cigarette smoke and com-
bustion by-products. Asthma episodes can also be 
triggered by indoor allergens such as animal dander 
and outdoor allergens such as pollen and molds. 
(9) Public health interventions and medical care 
in accordance with existing guidelines have been 
proven effective in the treatment and management 
of asthma. Better asthma management could reduce 
the numbers of emergency department visits and 
hospitalizations due to asthma. Studies published in 
medical journals, including the Journal of Asthma 
and The Journal of Pediatrics, have shown that bet-
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ter asthma management results in improved asthma 
outcomes at a lower cost. 
(10) In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention reported that less than half of people 
with asthma reported receiving self-management 
training for their asthma. More education about 
triggers, proper treatment, and asthma management 
methods is needed. 
(11) The alarming rise in the prevalence of 
asthma, its adverse effect on school attendance and 
productivity, and its cost for hospitalizations and 
emergency room visits, highlight the importance of 
public health interventions, including increasing 
awareness of asthma as a chronic illness, its symp-
toms, the role of both indoor and outdoor environ-
mental factors that exacerbate the disease, and other 
factors that affect its exacerbations and severity. 
The goals of the Federal Government and its part-
ners in the nonprofit and private sectors should in-
clude reducing the number and severity of asthma 
attacks, asthma’s financial burden, and the health 
disparities associated with asthma. 
(12) The high health and financial burden 
caused by asthma underscores the importance of ad-
herence to the National Asthma Education and Pre-
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vention Guidelines of the National Heart, Lung, and 
Blood Institute. Increasing adherence to guidelines- 
based care and resulting patient management prac-
tices will enhance the quality of life for patients with 
asthma and decrease asthma-related morbidity and 
mortality. 
SEC. 3. ASTHMA-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTERS 
FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. 
Section 317I of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 247b–10) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 317I. ASTHMA-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTERS 
FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION AND 
EDUCATION
TO
THE PUBLIC.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention and the National Center for Environ-
mental Health, shall collaborate with State and local 
health departments to conduct activities, including the 
provision of information and education to the public re-
garding asthma including— 
‘‘(1) deterring the harmful consequences of un-
controlled asthma; and 
‘‘(2) disseminating health education and infor-
mation regarding prevention of asthma episodes and 
strategies for managing asthma. 
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