A collaborative called "Controlling Asthma in the Richmond Metro Area" (CARMA) is working to improve asthma management among urban children up to 18 years of age. To help achieve this goal, the collaborative is developing relationships among school systems, Head Start, local physician groups, medical organizations, and social organizations. The collaborative is designing and, in some cases, pilot-testing interventions aimed at improving the asthma management skills of preschool and elementary school personnel, families, and physicians and developing ways to provide families of children with asthma with support, education, and medical referrals. Because some studies indicate that obesity might be a risk factor for developing asthma, the project is focusing on interventions that can reduce the risk of childhood obesity as a strategy for preventing asthma and asthma symptoms.

The goal of this program is to improve asthma management among urban children up to 18 years of age.

This project is expected to help improve community and individual capacity to control asthma, thereby improving the health of those with asthma and decreasing asthma-related medical costs.