Newswise — Asthma rates in the South Bronx are among the highest in the nation, and the respiratory disease is especially widespread among school-aged children there. Surveys have found that asthma levels among children at some schools in the South Bronx are at least three times the national average.
On Saturday, November 12, physicians, scientists, policy makers, and environmental advocates will present the latest findings from a five-year environmental study in the South Bronx, and will address ways in which the community can respond to the asthma crisis, at a policy forum entitled "Let's Clear the Air."
The forum will be held at South Bronx High School from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The study, the South Bronx Environmental Health and Policy Study is a five-year collaborative project involving NYU School of Medicine, the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and four community groups (The Point Community Development Corporation, Sports Foundation, Inc., We Stay/Nos Quedamnos, Inc., and Youth ministries for Peace & Justice Inc.). Endorsed by Congressman Jose E. Serrano, the aim was to examine the impact of industrial emissions on air quality and to direct policy initiatives.
As part of the study, the NYU team dispatched a mobile van lab to assess ground-level pollution levels and they conducted the "Backpack Study" to monitor carbon concentrations taken from air samples collected by commuting students. The findings have shown that high concentrations of air pollution worsen asthma problems among elementary school children in the South Bronx.
The keynote address will be given by Congressman Jose E. Serrano. Panelists include Dr. Lung Chi Chen and Dr. George Thurston, NYU School of Medicine; Alicia Hurley, Director, NYU Office of Federal Policy (OFP); Jessica Clemente, Project Manager, NYU School of Medicine/NYU (OFP); and Carlos Restrepo, Associate Research Scientist, NYU Wagner " ICIS, among others. The moderators are Ajamu Kitwana, Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, Inc., Yolanda Gonzalez, We Stay/Nos Quedamos, Vaughn Thomas, The Sports Foundation Inc., and Siddhartha Sanchez, Congressman Serrano's Office.
The forum will be opened with a discussion on air quality and its impact on health in the South Bronx. Among other topics that will be discussed are asthma and asthma management, along with proposed community responses and solutions. The afternoon agenda also includes an evaluation of effective policy-making in improving air quality.
For more information and detailed agenda, please visit http://www.med.nyu.edu/SBEHPS/info/community_forum.htm, or call 718-665-9585
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