1Recognizing May 7, 2013, as "World Asthma Day" in Pennsylvania.

2WHEREAS, "World Asthma Day" will take place on May 7, 2013;
3and

4WHEREAS, "World Asthma Day" is organized by the Global
5Initiative for Asthma (GINA) in collaboration with the
6Pennsylvania Asthma Partnership to raise awareness about asthma
7and improve asthma care throughout the world; and

8WHEREAS, Each year GINA chooses a theme and organizes
9preparation and distribution of "World Asthma Day" materials and
10resources; and

11WHEREAS, "World Asthma Day" activities are organized in each
12country by health care professionals, educators and members of
13the public who want to help reduce the burden of asthma; and

14WHEREAS, The first "World Asthma Day" in 1998 was celebrated

1in more than 35 countries in conjunction with the first world
2asthma meeting held in Barcelona, Spain; and

3WHEREAS, Participation has increased with each "World Asthma
4Day" held since then, and the day has become one of the world's
5most important asthma awareness and education events; and

6WHEREAS, Many Americans are afflicted with asthma, a serious
7chronic lung disease, caused by continual airway inflammation
8punctuated by episodes or attacks of increased inflammation
9often in response to specific triggers; and

10WHEREAS, These attacks, characterized by difficulty in
11breathing, occasionally are extreme and constitute a medical
12emergency; and

13WHEREAS, Over the past two decades, the burden of asthma in
14the United States has greatly increased; and

15WHEREAS, More recent data about asthma-related
16hospitalizations and mortality appear to indicate that asthma
17prevalence has stabilized and improved levels of disease
18management have helped to mitigate asthma's effects; therefore
19be it

20RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize May 7,
212013, as "World Asthma Day" in Pennsylvania.