Johnson Controls and Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to raise awareness on indoor air quality and health

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, today announced that it has partnered with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Together, Johnson Controls and AAFA will strive to improve health outcomes for families managing asthma and allergies by raising awareness of the connection between indoor air quality and health.

"While important for everyone, well-managed indoor environments are critical for the health and well-being of the asthma and allergy community," said Ganesh Ramaswamy, president of Global Services at Johnson Controls. "Johnson Controls is proud to bring the latest in smart, connected technology, along with more than 135 years of experience in healthy buildings to advance research and accelerate advocacy to help everyone indoors feel comfortable and productive," Ramaswamy said.

As many as 25 million Americans suffer from asthma. It is one of the country's most common and costly diseases, affecting about 8 percent of adults and 7 percent of children. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed with a combination of asthma medication treatments and by reducing or avoiding exposure to things that can trigger asthma attacks. Healthy indoor environments are a key part of asthma management.

"Our mission is to save lives and reduce the burden of disease for people with allergies and asthma," said Kenneth Mendez, AAFA's CEO and president. "We appreciate that Johnson Controls understands that clean, healthy air in indoor environments is one of the most important ways to reduce and prevent asthma attacks and allergy symptoms. We are grateful for the support provided by Johnson Controls to help AAFA with our programmatic work, especially in schools."

Along with its experience in ventilation, filtration and smart buildings, Johnson Controls has advanced technology and experience with indoor air assessments, including its recently launched partnership with UL and SafeTraces.

"Infrastructure spending in the U.S. for schools has lagged even as about one in ten students suffers from asthma or allergies, and we know that there is a significant disparity in air quality in low income and city areas where there is also heightened rates of respiratory illness," said Ramaswamy. "That makes it so much more critical that we help administrators apply recent infrastructure funding in the most effective way to help provide the best environments for students, teachers and school employees to learn and work," he added.

Initial work between Johnson Controls and AAFA will include supporting the asthma and allergy community, collaborating on patient education and awareness as well as advocacy and public policy initiatives – including those to improve air quality in schools.

Further details of the partnership between Johnson Controls and AAFA will be announced ahead of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in May 2022.

About Johnson Controls:

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet. 

With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, Johnson Controls delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through its comprehensive digital offering OpenBlue. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology, software as well as service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

About AAFA:

Founded in 1953, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is the oldest and largest non-profit patient organization in the world dedicated to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease for people with asthma, allergies and related conditions through research, education, advocacy, and support. AAFA offers extensive support for individuals and families affected by asthma and allergic diseases, such as food allergies and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Through its online patient support communities, network of local chapters and affiliated support groups, AAFA empowers patients and their families by providing practical, evidence-based information and community programs and services. AAFA is the only asthma and allergy patient advocacy group that is certified to meet the standards of excellence set by the National Health Council. For more information, visit www.aafa.org.

SOURCE Johnson Controls International plc