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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Robert F. Matzie |
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House adopts Matzie's 'World Asthma Day' resolution
HARRISBURG, May 1 – State Rep. Robert F. Matzie, D-Allegheny/Beaver, today spoke on the House floor to commemorate "World Asthma Day" in Pennsylvania.
Matzie introduced a resolution (H.R. 638) designating May 1 as World Asthma Day. The House adopted it in April.
This year's theme for World Asthma Day is "You Can Control Your Asthma," and the aim is to spread the word that asthma control is the goal of treatment and can be achieved in the vast majority of asthma patients with proper management.
World Asthma Day is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma in collaboration with the PA Asthma Partnership, which is managed by the American Lung Association and asthma educators, to raise awareness about asthma and improve asthma care throughout the world.
This year, GINA also will launch the next phase in its campaign, which is to reduce asthma hospitalizations by 50 percent in five years.
"World Asthma Day helps to create awareness about this affliction and the resources that are available to properly manage it," Matzie said. "This year's initiative is aimed at improving asthma control for the largest possible group of patients, so that serious attacks are unlikely to occur and hospitalizations are unnecessary."
The first World Asthma Day was celebrated in 1998 in more than 35 countries.
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