The "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) Commission has released its report on childhood chronic diseases. The American Lung Association responded with concerns, emphasizing the importance of addressing chronic illnesses in children. The association's statement noted, "Addressing chronic diseases in kids is critically important, and the American Lung Association has long prioritized improving the health of kids with asthma and other chronic diseases. But this report is not the path forward."
The report highlights concerns about increasing childhood chronic diseases like asthma but also suggests changes that could undermine established methods for protecting children from infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, polio, and pertussis. According to the American Lung Association, "Rather than moving forward to address today’s chronic disease challenges, this report would bring us back to an era of when kids routinely died or suffered lifelong harm from preventable infectious diseases."
The association criticized the MAHA report's priorities as inconsistent with current government actions that they believe are detrimental to combating chronic disease. Recent decisions include shutting down key programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), such as the National Asthma Control Program and the Office on Smoking and Health. Additionally, it was noted that major polluters have been allowed to bypass emission requirements by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Concerns were also raised regarding funding cuts proposed by the President's budget request for programs dedicated to preventing childhood chronic diseases. The statement remarked on these actions: "By gutting funding, cutting staff and rolling back health protections, the administration is dismantling the very infrastructure needed to keep kids healthy."
A significant omission in the MAHA report was access to healthcare for children. On a day when a bill threatening Medicaid and Affordable Care Act provisions passed in the U.S. House of Representatives—potentially impacting millions—the absence of discussion on healthcare access was notable.
The American Lung Association urged revisions to incorporate proven strategies against childhood lung conditions: "We urge members of the Commission to revise and expand their report to include proven measures that address asthma and other chronic diseases in kids – including timely vaccinations, clean air protections, tobacco prevention, access to care and sustained public health investments."
