Kids use art to raise awareness of asthma
Posters to be included in special calendar
A dozen New York City area students, including four from Brooklyn, were winners of a poster contest sponsored by HealthPlus Amerigroup to raise awareness of asthma. The kids will have the honor of seeing the posters they created used in a special calendar.
The contest was part of HealthPlus Amerigroup’s Keeping Kids in School Asthma Program, a project that seeks to use innovative approaches to promote asthma awareness to improve the quality of life for children living with asthma.
Under the program, children learn that asthma is a chronic condition, but are taught how to manage the disease and how to lead active, healthy lives, officials said. The students, who come from four different boroughs and Nassau, will have their artwork included in a calendar put out by HealthPlus Amerigruop, which will be distributed in schools, physician’s offices and community service centers around the city.
“Asthma affects more than 400,000 children in New York City, and it is the leading cause of missed school days and hospital stays for children,” said Dr. Sajidah Husain, chief medical officer of HealthPlus Amerigroup. “This program creates awareness and teaches parents, students and educators how to better manage this disease, which is crucial in Brooklyn where asthma rates are amongst the highest in the city.”