Addressing Asthma in Englewood

The Asthma Action Plan for Chicago: Addressing Asthma in Englewood project addresses community concerns about the high rates of asthma morbidity in the Englewood area which is a low-income African American community on the south side of Chicago. Project partners have developed a program that capitalizes upon local resources and develops community infrastructures capable of long term sustainability.

Goals include: Increasing surveillance of asthma, enhancing education about the disease, and improving access to appropriate medical management. Developing long-term sustainable infrastructures to maintain reduction in asthma morbidity. Establishing a multi-factorial model for addressing pediatric asthma in urban settings.

These services are funded in part by a grant from the
Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc.

Asthma, in particular, is a serious health issue for Englewood. Illinois in general and Chicago in particular is noted as one of the epicenters of asthma with asthma deaths in Illinois the highest among African Americans in the U.S.

In 2002, there were 117 deaths from asthma in Chicago; 15 of these were school-aged children. Asthma-related hospitalizations in Englewood and West Englewood are among the highest in Chicago - 60.2 and 71.1 respectively per 10,000 people in 2002 - more than double Chicago's average of 31.6.

Asthma Hospitalizations in Englewood

For more information on this project,
contact Maureen Damitz at (312) 628-0229.