Confluence Health, serving North Central Washington, has identified a disproportionate impact of wildfire smoke on Latino children with asthma, leading to increased emergency department visits during smoke events. In response, they launched the Pediatric Asthma Equity Action Project, providing educational materials in English and Spanish to parents, including a wildfire-season asthma action plan. This initiative aims to equip families with strategies to protect their children during wildfire seasons. (ama-assn.org)
Additionally, the Washington State Department of Health allocated $750,000 through the Climate and Health Adaptation Initiative Community Capacity Grant to organizations like Our Valley Our Future, a Wenatchee-based nonprofit. This funding supports research to identify actionable steps to combat climate change impacts, including the effects of wildfire smoke on communities. (nwpb.org)
These efforts underscore a collaborative approach to mitigate the health risks associated with wildfire smoke, particularly for vulnerable populations such as Latino children in the region.
