Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) this month announced that it has partnered with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), and that together, JCI and AAFA will now "strive to improve health outcomes for families managing asthma and allergies by raising awareness of the connection between indoor air quality and health."
As noted by AAFA:
As many as 25 million Americans suffer from asthma. It is one of the country's most common and costly diseases, affecting about 8 percent of adults and 7 percent of children. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed with a combination of asthma medication treatments and by reducing or avoiding exposure to things that can trigger asthma attacks. Healthy indoor environments are a key part of asthma management.
"While important for everyone, well-managed indoor environments are critical for the health and well-being of the asthma and allergy community," noted Ganesh Ramaswamy, president of Global Services at JCI. "Johnson Controls is proud to bring the latest in smart, connected technology, along with more than 135 years of experience in healthy buildings to advance research and accelerate advocacy to help everyone indoors feel comfortable and productive," Ramaswamy added.
Along with its experience in ventilation, filtration and smart buildings, Johnson Controls points out how it has advanced technology and experience with indoor air assessments, including its recently launched partnership with UL and SafeTraces.
"Infrastructure spending in the U.S. for schools has lagged even as about one in ten students suffers from asthma or allergies, and we know that there is a significant disparity in air quality in low income and city areas where there is also heightened rates of respiratory illness," observed Ramaswamy. "That makes it so much more critical that we help administrators apply recent infrastructure funding in the most effective way to help provide the best environments for students, teachers and school employees to learn and work," he added.
Initial work between JCI and AAFA will include supporting the asthma and allergy community, collaborating on patient education and awareness as well as advocacy and public policy initiatives – including those to improve air quality in schools.
"Our mission is to save lives and reduce the burden of disease for people with allergies and asthma," said Kenneth Mendez, AAFA's CEO and president. "We appreciate that Johnson Controls understands that clean, healthy air in indoor environments is one of the most important ways to reduce and prevent asthma attacks and allergy symptoms. We are grateful for the support provided by Johnson Controls to help AAFA with our programmatic work, especially in schools."
Further details of the partnership between Johnson Controls and AAFA will be announced ahead of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in May 2022.
