Asthma Awareness in the Community

To improve the quality of life for all Minnesotans who have asthma, we need to raise asthma awareness, increase educational outreach in every community, and continue to work together to improve community capacity to provide social services and medical care for those with asthma.

What's in the news 

October 2025 is National Indoor Air Quality Awareness Month - the American Lung Association urges health care professionals to play a vital role in protecting their patients from the health impacts of indoor air pollution (IAP). 

The American Lung Association has developed the following tools to help healthcare professionals identity, screen and treat patients for IAP exposure:

• IAQ Resource Hub - toolkits with resources to address common indoor air pollutants.
• Indoor Air Quality Action Plan - plan to help patients take action towards improving the air in their home.
• Invisible Risks: The Health Impacts of Indoor Air Quality, a FREE one-hour online training designed to help healthcare professionals identify, screen and treat patients at-risk for health impacts of indoor air pollution. Continuing Education credits are available for physicians, physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners and respiratory therapists. 

Resources to help raise asthma awareness in your community

• Strategic Framework - outlines goals and strategies that aim to reduce the impact of asthma in Minnesota. The Framework relies on many different partners contributing ideas, resources, and sustainable funding.
• Asthma Training for Youth Coach's:  Athletes and Asthma: The Community Coach's Role - is a FREE 35-minute online training course that provides information and resources for the community coach using animation, video, and interactive scenarios. By completing the course, community coaches will learn how to help their athletes manage and control their asthma and what to do in case of an asthma episode.
• American Lung Association (ALA) - Learn about current initiatives, education and current training opportunities.
• Allergy & Asthma Network - Allergy & Asthma Network is a non-profit organization whose mission is to end the needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies, and related conditions through outreach, education, advocacy and research.
• Asthma Community Network- Communities in Action - Share - Learn - Connect - this network is designed for community-based asthma programs and organizations that sponsor them - including representatives of health plans and providers, government health and environmental agencies, nonprofits, coalitions, and schools and more.
• About Asthma - CDC's National Asthma Control Program (NACP) was created in 1999 to help millions of people with asthma in the United States gain Control over their disease.

 Minnesota Department related sites 

• Air Quality
• Asthma Data - MN Public Health Data Access Portal
• Chronic Conditions
• Climate and Health
• Immunization: Me and My Family
• School Health Services
• Tobacco 

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency related sites 

• Current air quality conditions
  • Understanding the air quality index (AQI)
  • Air quality and health
• Electric and cleaner school buses
  • Cleaner and quieter electrical school buses start to hit the road, MPCA blog article 

Department of Human Services: Homelessness, Housing and Support Services Administration

• Homelessness, Housing and Support Services Administration (PDF) - works to ensure that appropriate housing is available for Minnesotans. The administration is home to a number of housing and economic assistance programs that serve as critical pieces of the social safety net.  
• Housing program and services (DHS)
• Housing Benefits 101 -  Housing Benefits (HB101) helps people who need affordable housing, and supports to maintain that housing, understand the range of housing options and support services available.