AAFA News:
This year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) continues a tradition it started in 1984 – designating May as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Our focus for 2026: The Power of Community to Improve Asthma and Allergy Health.
“For the more than 106 million people in the United States with asthma and/or allergies, disease prevention, symptom management, and control are influenced by where you live,” said Kenneth Mendez, president and CEO of AAFA. “Your community, your access to healthcare, and the policies that shape the world around you all contribute to how you live with and manage asthma and allergic diseases. These conditions can negatively impact quality of life and cause missed days of school and work, doctor and hospital visits, and can be fatal. Between 9 and 11 people die each day from asthma.”
During the month of May, AAFA will highlight the importance of a strong community of support for people with asthma and allergic diseases and equip people with the resources necessary to save and improve lives.
For information on National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, including a full calendar of events, fact sheets, shareable infographics and more, visit: aafa.org/awareness.
“Asthma and allergic diseases are not managed in isolation,” said Melanie Carver, chief mission officer at AAFA. “Reducing exposure to symptom triggers in your lived environment requires cooperation and support from those around you. This can range from smoke-free housing to monitoring food for the presence of allergens to policies and regulations that reduce air pollution. A community health approach is essential.”
Community-based care facilitates:
- Better day-to-day symptom management
- Healthier, more inclusive spaces at home, school, and work
- Access to more treatment options
- Stronger protections and policies that improve quality of life
- Lower rates of health care visits and costs
AAFA’s community of patients, families, caregivers, clinicians and other health care professionals, advocates, and educators have the power to effect change. As a part of our effort to build a stronger community of support for people with asthma and allergies, AAFA will host a press briefing with patients, caregivers, and clinicians at the U.S. Capitol on World Asthma Day – May 5 – to ask Congress to take action.
We will meet with congressional offices and advocate for:
- Improved access to affordable healthcare and asthma and allergy treatments (including the Safe Step Act H.R. 5509 / S. 2903)
- Federal investment in asthma and allergy research
- Protection of asthma prevention programs (funding the National Asthma Control Program)
- Protection of children’s health programs (including the Children’s Health Protection Act H.R. 2339)
To follow along and get live updates on our visits on Capitol Hill, tune in to our Instagram on May 5.
“When our community comes together to take action, we get results,” Mendez said. “Last year, our advocacy succeeded in restoring funding to the CDC’s National Asthma Control Program (NACP). This year, we will ask Congress to continue to support the programs and research that make a difference in the lives of millions of people in the U.S. with asthma and allergies.”
AAFA provides an online AAFA’s Advocacy Action Center to help advocates take action on current bills and regulations that affect the allergy and asthma community.
Acknowledgment and Disclosures
Awareness month materials are developed independently by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and made possible in part by contributions from Amgen, Genentech, Sanofi and Regeneron. We thank them for their support of the 2026 National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.