May 3, 2000 marks the second annual World Asthma Day, and more than 80 countries across the globe will observe it with special events to highlight the burden of asthma and attempts to combat it.

The official U.S. World Asthma Day event will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3, 2000, at the Tyler Elementary School, 10th and G Streets, S.E., Washington, D.C. Co-sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, and the DC Asthma Coalition, it will focus on the high prevalence of asthma in the U.S., especially in inner-city communities like DC, and steps to curb it.

Press conference participants include: NHLBI Director Dr. Claude Lenfant, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams, NLM Director Dr. Donald Lindberg, D.C. Director of Health Dr. Ivan Walks, D.C. Superintendent of Schools Arlene Ackerman, and Drs. Inez Smith Reid and Floyd Malveaux of the DC Asthma Coalition.

Children from the Tyler Elementary School Asthma Club will perform a skit to celebrate their graduation from the American Lung Association's Open Airways Program. This program teaches children with asthma how to "take control" of their asthma.

And Coolio, the Grammy-award winning rap artist who has asthma, will also participate.

The event will be Webcast at 11:00 a.m. on May 3rd and can be accessed by going to the NHLBI Web site, (www.nhlbi.nih.gov), and clicking on World Asthma Day.

For more information, contact the NHLBI Communications Office at (301) 496-4236.

Other information about asthma and World Asthma Day is available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.