The West Virginia Asthma Education and Prevention Program (WV-AEPP) strives to improve the quality of life for all West Virginians with asthma. We make this possible by working with partners with the same goals and aid in implementing our State Asthma Plan. We invite you to join us in our efforts to ensure the best health outcomes possible for our citizens with this chronic disease.
WV-AEPP works diligently to highlight asthma as a priority health concern in an effort to reduce suffering, morbidity, death, and the economic costs related to asthma by:
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Maintaining and expanding a statewide asthma surveillance system and promulgating to partners and stakeholders information about the prevalence, morbidity, mortatlity, and cost of asthma
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Developing and implementing interventions aimed at reducing the burden of asthma in our state, where the main focus is the disparate populations which include: children, adult women, seniors (64 years and older), and the low social economic status (SES) who are more adversely affected by asthma.
The WV Bureau for Public Health and AEPP also focus activities and efforts in respect to the Healthy People 2020. Healthy People is a set of goals and objectives with 10-year targets designed to guide national health promotion and disease prevention efforts to improve the health of all people in the United States. Click here for more information.
Click here for more information on AEPP - AEPP History
Initiatives AEPP Supports
Healthcare Advocacy
The West Virginia Asthma Education and Prevention Program has always been an advocate for changes in rules, policy, and legislation to provide improved access, care, and treatment of asthma. AEPP played an instrumental role in getting the "inhaler bill" passed into law and also, in the development of the "school bus idling" policy for West Virginia schools to improve air quality around our children. For more information and details go to "Policy and Legislation" on this site.
Disease Self-Management
Marshall University Center for Rural Health - Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is an evidence-based program developed at Stanford University. This highly participatory skill-based program teaches people how to deal with the symptoms and emotions of living with chronic conditions. West Virginia has adopted CDSMP and calls it "Help Yourself". The 6-week "Help Yourself" program is co-led by the WV Diabetes Prevention and Control partners, clinic staff, and community/lay leaders. AEPP and the WV Arthritis Program have provided support over the years, either financially and/or by promoting this successful program.
Workforce Development
The AEPP has provided free training on spirometry, asthma action plans, and asthma education via evidenced-based programs such as Open Airways for Schools, Breathe Well Live Well, and Asthma 101 and by web-based programs such as takeACTION! Addressing Asthma & Diabetes in West Virginia Schools (www.wvde.org), and Asthma Education for the Primary Care Provider (www.camcinstitute.org). AEPP continues to develop and fund new and successful programs in West Virginia.
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