Free Asthma Health Event at Hunts Point

A free asthma health event is coming to Hunts Point on Saturday, April 25, with screenings, education and community resources in the South Bronx. (bronx.com) The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Hunts Point Recreation Center, 765 Manida Street, a New York City Parks facility in Julio Carballo Fields. NYC Parks lists the center as accessible and open Mondays through Saturdays. (bronx.com) (nycgovparks.org) Bronx.com described it as the third Free Community Asthma Health Event, continuing a local outreach effort built around basic screenings, asthma education and referrals to support services. (bronx.com) Asthma is a lung disease that inflames the airways and can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. New York City’s health department says it cannot be cured, but it can be controlled. (nyc.gov) The Bronx carries the city’s heaviest asthma burden. In 2020, the city health department estimated 215,000 Bronx residents had asthma, or 21.0% of the borough, compared with 14.1% citywide. (nyc.gov) City health officials say asthma is a leading cause of emergency room visits, hospitalizations and missed school days in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods. The same city data says asthma is more common among low-income Black and Latino children. (nyc.gov) In Hunts Point and Longwood, the problem overlaps with housing conditions as well as health care use. United Hospital Fund said those neighborhoods have some of the highest rates of asthma diagnoses among children on Medicaid, along with higher rates of home maintenance defects and cockroach exposure. (uhfnyc.org) The neighborhood also has an existing network of groups that work on health and quality-of-life issues. Urban Health Plan says the Hunts Point Longwood Community Coalition includes the recreation center, health agencies, social service groups and elected officials, and meets monthly on issues including housing, health and public safety. (urbanhealthplan.org) Saturday’s event puts that public-health work in a place residents already use for sports, fitness and after-school programs. For families managing asthma, it offers a two-hour stop for information, screening and next-step help close to home. (nycgovparks.org) (bronx.com)