Asthma Program Vision
To improve the quality of life for Mississippians with asthma.
Asthma Program Goals
- Education: To raise awareness about asthma and to educate Mississippians on what they can do about their asthma.
- Improvement: To improve self-management skills, and increase the quality of and accessibility to healthcare for persons with asthma.
- Analysis: To collect, analyze, and disseminate data about asthma that helps define the extent of the asthma problem in Mississippi.
- Evaluation: To utilize available data to evaluate the MSDH's progress in asthma activities.
- Planning: To facilitate the expansion and coordination of the Asthma Coalition of Mississippi, and implement the Coalition's State Asthma Plan.
Background
The MSDH Asthma Program began as the South Central Public Health Leadership Institute (SCPHLI) project. The team, composed of MSDH staff members, was challenged with collecting, analyzing and reporting data on asthma hospital visits in 1997 and 1998 in Mississippi. This resulted in recommendations for the development of a statewide asthma surveillance system.
The MSDH applied for funds from the American Lung Association (ALAM) to begin the development of the asthma surveillance system. After the funding cycle ended, MSDH was awarded funding from the national Center for Environmental Health (Air Pollution and Respiratory health Branch) at the Centers for Disease Control.
September 2009 began a new five-year cycle of funding for the MSDH Asthma Program.
