Diane R. Estrin, BS, Community Action to Fight Asthma: A Project of Community Health Works/SFSU, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1700, Oakland, CA 94612, 510.622.4444, diane@calasthma.org, Rick Kreutzer Kreutzer, MD, Department of Health Services, Environmental Health Investigation Branch, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1700, Oakland, CA 94612, Mildred Thompson, MSW, none, PolicyLink, 101 Broadway Ave, Oakland, CA 94607, Sonia Taddy, MPIA, California State University San Marcos, National Latina Research Center, 333 South Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos, CA 92096-001, Karla Matus, Imperial Valley Asthma Coaltion, 1415 Ross Avenue, El Centro, CA 92243, Anne Kelsey, MPH, RAMP, Public Health Institute, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1700, Oakland, CA 94612, Katheryn Lorenzen, BA, American Lung Association- Redwood Empire Branch, Sonoma County Asthma Coalition, 115 Talbort Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, and Derek Shendell, MPH, DEnv, CAL Community Action to Fight Asthma and HSN Consultant, 1515 Clay, Suite 1700, Oakland, CA 94612.

Community Action to Fight Asthma (CAFA) is a three year initiative funded by The California Endowment and coordinated by Community Health Works of San Francisco State University. It is a statewide effort to implement environmental interventions and policy changes that reduce indoor and outdoor environmental triggers for asthma among school aged children in California. In order to effectively reduce environmental triggers, local and state governments, school systems, housing authorities, environmental agencies, social services and our communities must be involved and work in concert. Alone, none have the ability to significantly reduce the burden of asthma or other health disparities in our communities. CAFA will demonstrate the impact of a new statewide structure consisting of a state coordinating office, four regional centers, twelve local coalitions and multiple technical assistance partners (including state government) for the creation of long term interventions and environmental policies. Initiative components comprise a multifaceted approach which includes community-based interventions, data dissemination, consultation for policy change, media communications, and state government collaboration which lead to better environments for children with asthma.

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