Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”
(New York) – World Lung Foundation today announced that its 25-member running team raised $49,000 to provide life-saving asthma treatment to more than 1,700 children in Kenya. The money, which was raised during the New York City Half-Marathon, will fund a grant to the Kenyan Association for Prevention of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
One hundred percent of the money raised by the runners will directly fund comprehensive asthma treatment in Kenya including diagnosis, medicine, inhalers, case management, staff training, as well as a public education program. WLF also received generous financial support from Signature Bank and IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. (ICE).
“Child asthma in countries like Kenya is much more dangerous because it is less frequently diagnosed and rarely treated as a chronic condition,” said Dr. Jeremiah Chakaya, Executive Secretary of the Kenyan Association for Prevention of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. “We are grateful to World Lung Foundation, its running team and sponsors who together are helping strengthen our capacity to make sure asthmatic children and their parents understand and manage the disease.”
“Running a half-marathon is usually a highly personal experience that leaves the runner with a strong sense of individual achievement,” said Peter Baldini, Chief Executive Officer, World Lung Foundation. “The WLF team made their experiences an achievement for so many children who suffer from one of the world's most neglected lung diseases. I am proud to have run with such a group of dedicated athletes and citizens.”
It is estimated that ten percent of children in Kenya between the ages of 10 and 14 have asthma, 60 percent of whom suffer from persistent asthma. According to the World Health Organization, asthma is the most common chronic disease among children. Undiagnosed and under-treated, most asthma-related deaths occur in low- and lower-middle income countries.