Mission and Vision
Vision: The Massachusetts Asthma Prevention and Control Program (APCP) envisions a Commonwealth where systems of structural racism and oppression have been dismantled and communities of color have the same opportunities, especially for individuals living with asthma, to lead full and active lives free from inequitable disease burden. Where principles of primary prevention of asthma are elevated and embraced and the root causes of inequities in asthma outcomes have been eliminated.
Mission: The mission of the Asthma Prevention and Control Program is to eliminate inequities in asthma outcomes and reduce the overall burden of asthma across the Commonwealth. Elevating evidence based best practices to build capacity and foster collaboration for the prevention and management of asthma, with a focus on the root causes of asthma inequities that result from systemic and structural racism.
Activities
The APCP performs many activities that support the program’s mission and vision. The APCP collaborates with other state agencies and community partners, particularly the Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership (MAAP) the only statewide asthma partnership in Massachusetts. A key focus of the APCP program is support for the implementation of the Community Health Worker-led Asthma Home Visiting model.
APCP activities align with the CDC’s EXHALE technical package, a comprehensive set of strategies to address asthma:
E - Education on asthma self-management
X - eXtinguishing smoking and secondhand smoke
H - Home visits for trigger reduction and asthma self-management education
A - Achievement of guidelines-based medical management
L - Linkages and coordination of care across settings
E - Environmental policies or best practices to reduce asthma triggers from indoor, outdoor, and occupational sources
APCP key initiatives include:
- Providing training and education for Community Health Workers (CHWs) conducting asthma home visiting in Massachusetts;
- Supporting individual schools and school districts to create and maintain healthy and asthma friendly school environments;
- Fostering statewide collaboration through the Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership (MAAP);
- Elevating resources on tobacco cessation, vaping, and promoting the adoption of tobacco-free policies, particularly in schools;
- Supporting clinical providers in delivering equitable, clinical, guidelines-based care (e.g. SMART therapy) in alignment with current NIH asthma guidelines; and
- Engaging in environmental and climate initiatives to support best practices for asthma-friendly environments.
The Asthma Prevention and Control Program receives funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-RFA-EH-24-0016).