This resolution expresses support for designating May 2025 as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month to highlight the significant impact of these conditions and encourage public awareness.
Debbie Dingell
Representative
MI-6
This resolution officially designates May 2025 as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. It highlights the significant national impact of asthma and food allergies, noting the high rates of illness, missed school/work days, and associated healthcare costs. The bill encourages public awareness and appropriate activities throughout May to address these widespread health challenges.
May Officially Designated as 'National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month' to Highlight $82 Billion Health Crisis
This resolution officially designates the month of May 2025 as "National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month." It’s a purely symbolic move by the House of Representatives, but it’s backed by some serious public health numbers. Essentially, Congress is using this resolution to shine a spotlight on two widespread conditions that cost the country a fortune and hit certain communities much harder than others.
The Real-World Cost of Wheezing and Sneezing
This isn't just about seasonal sniffles; the resolution highlights that asthma affects 28 million people in the U.S., including nearly 5 million kids. If you’re a manager trying to hit quarterly goals, or a parent juggling work and school schedules, these numbers matter: in 2018 alone, asthma resulted in 7.9 million missed school days and 10.9 million missed workdays. The economic impact is staggering, costing an estimated $81.9 billion annually between 2008 and 2013. Designating a month for awareness encourages public attention to these massive disruptions in productivity and daily life.
Why Awareness Matters for Everyday Families
For families dealing with these conditions, the resolution underscores two major problems. First, it points out that 20.3 million people, including 4.3 million children, have food allergies, and these are often linked to asthma. Second, it highlights a major gap in care: fewer than half of people with asthma report having an asthma action plan. This plan is the playbook for preventing severe attacks and avoiding those costly, terrifying 1.5 million annual emergency room visits. By raising awareness, the resolution encourages more people to seek out these basic, preventative tools.
Addressing the Disparities
One of the most important aspects of the resolution is its focus on health equity. It explicitly calls out that the burden of asthma is not shared equally, noting that Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected. For example, while asthma is a problem for everyone, targeted awareness efforts can help direct resources and education to the communities that need them most, potentially closing the gap where these communities are hit hardest by chronic illness and lack of access to proper management tools. This designation is a formal call for the nation to observe May with appropriate ceremonies and activities, which means public health organizations will use this time to push education and resources—a small but necessary step toward better outcomes.