Blog
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Study Highlights the Relationship Between Geographic Location of Oil and Gas Production and COVID‐19 Cases and Mortality Rates in California
In November of 2024, a population-based ecological study, titled “Upstream Oil and Gas Production and Community COVID‐19 Case and Mortality Rates in California, USA,” examined the relationship between residential exposure to oil and gas production and COVID-19 cases and mortality rates in California. Study findings: The study suggests that air pollution from oil and gas…
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American Lung Association Offers Trainings for Asthma Professionals
The American Lung Association (ALA) provides comprehensive training programs designed to equip asthma professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support the communities they serve. ALA’s newest training, Patient with Asthma – A Case Study, guides participants through a detailed case study, demonstrating how to apply national asthma management guidelines for diagnosing, treating,…
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Asthma Control Tests
The Asthma Control Tests below can help determine whether an individual’s asthma is well controlled or poorly controlled. These asthma control test documents are from the website of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.
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A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Inhaled Reliever Therapies for Asthma
A systematic review and meta-analysis released in October 2024 by JAMA Network of 27 clinical trials (50,496 participants) compared inhaled asthma relievers. Findings show that combining inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with short-acting β agonists (SABA) or formoterol significantly reduces severe asthma exacerbations and improves asthma control compared to SABA alone. ICS-formoterol showed the greatest benefit, reducing…
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Report Highlights Air Pollution Reductions and Health Benefits of Changes to US Rail System
From Margins to Growth: The Economic Case for a Public Rail System highlights a range of economic challenges of the current U.S. rail system. The report also examines the impact of changes to the rail system, including public rail ownership. According to the assessment, such changes would prevent $190 billion in public health, environmental, and…
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Study Identifies Asthma Inequities at the City Level Using the Asthma Equity Explorer Database and Tool
Utilizing the Asthma Equity Explorer Database (AEED), a free web-based database and tool for asthma research developed by MITRE and hosted by Allergy & Asthma Network, researchers examined the relationship between housing stress, redlining, the non-Hispanic Black population, and asthma prevalence four of the worst but highly diverse U.S. capital cities (Allentown, PA; Cleveland, OH;…
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Study Shows Drying Salton Sea in Southern California Raises Respiratory Health and Environmental Justice Concerns
According to a study, the desiccation of the Salton Sea in California’s Imperial Valley, exacerbated by climate change and competing water demands, poses environmental and health risks. The study, “Air quality and wheeze symptoms in a rural children’s cohort near a drying saline lake,” was published in Environmental Research in October 2024. Researchers investigated the…
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EPA Releases Pilot Indicators of Environmental Health Disparities
As part of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan, the EPA released the pilot Indicators of Environmental Health Disparities resource. The intent of these indicators is to illustrate the disparities in key environmental and public health issues and describe EPA’s activities that may contribute to reductions in these disparities and overall health…
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ASHRAE Releases “Protecting Building Occupants from Smoke During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events” Guidelines; Free Public Access to a Read-Only Version Available through 2/11
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released Guideline 44, “Protecting Building Occupants from Smoke During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events.” This guideline offers recommendations for commercial, institutional, and multi-unit residential buildings to mitigate health impacts from smoke, making it the first of its kind to support building owners and managers…
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American Lung Association Explores How Emerging Technologies Can Bridge Air Quality Data Gaps
For 25 years, the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report has provided critical insights into air quality across the nation, using data from official monitoring networks to track ozone and particulate matter levels. Building on this legacy, Something in the Air: Bridging the Air Quality Data Gap with Satellite Technology explores how emerging…
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Hiring: Asthma Remediation Manager at Visión y Compromiso
Visión y Compromiso is currently hiring a full-time Asthma Remediation Manager to lead its asthma services under the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program. The Manager will handle the strategy, operations, and finance sustainability of the program, and ensure services are well-planned and delivered to Medi-Cal patients with poorly controlled asthma, following organizational and…
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Become a Member of CDPH’s Climate and Health Equity Advisory Group
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is seeking participants for the new Climate and Health Equity Advisory Group (CHEAG). This group will include diverse members from across California with lived experience or expertise in the health and equity impacts of climate change. CHEAG will guide CDPH’s climate and health equity initiatives, identify program gaps,…