The California State Asthma Steering Committee has announced the release of the State Department of Public Health’s new five-year Strategic Plan for Asthma in California – 2008-2012. The Plan provides innovative and proven strategies to improve the health and quality of life of the over five million Californians affected by asthma. The Plan highlights five cross-cutting priorities for action: eliminating asthma disparities; providing education and awareness; focusing on asthma across the lifespan; creating institutional and systems change; and promoting effective asthma policies. These priorities are addressed under five Plan goal areas: Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation; Surveillance and Research; Health Care; Indoor Environments; and Outdoor Environments.

The Plan may be downloaded from //www.californiabreathing.org/images/stories/publications/asthmastrategicplan.5-5-08.pdf. To order a print copy of the Plan after May 10th, contact Anne Ndivo at Anne.Ndivo@cdph.ca.gov or 510-620-3646 or Patricia Laija at Paticia.Laija@cdph.ca.gov or 916-552-9717.