Merck Childhood Asthma Network: Call for Proposals

Posted by on May 13, 2005

Please see the announcement below about the Merck Childhood Asthma Network: Call for Proposals. There may be opportunities in here for a CBPR approach, as evidence-based interventions are adapted and applied in new communities.

"Asthma is a complex and persistent problem among children of all ages in the United States. A critical component of efforts to address this health issue is ensuring that high-quality services and programs are available for children who have asthma. To help improve access to, and quality of, asthma health care services for children, The Merck Company Foundation-the philanthropic arm of pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc. – has established the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN). The creation of MCAN is consistent with Merck’s
commitment to putting patients first by improving access to medicines, vaccines, and quality health care.

MCAN will aim to function as a leading national expert and advocate on childhood asthma in the United States by working with national, regional and community partners to develop, implement and disseminate evidence-based program models to improve childhood asthma management around the country. It also will work to foster information sharing and best practices among care providers and other interested parties seeking to enhance the quality of asthma care for children.

In late 2005, MCAN plans to begin announcing several four-year childhood asthma programs in selected communities around the country. These programs will be chosen through a competitive Call for Proposals process launched today. At this stage, we are seeking letters of intent for proposals to develop comprehensive, community-based programs on childhood asthma.

We hope that you and your colleagues will be as excited about this MCAN initiative as we are, and we encourage you to make this information widely known among your staff, members, and other stakeholders. We hope to reach as many potential applicants as possible and encourage submission, by Tuesday, May 24, of letters of intent to develop innovative, effective programs to address this significant child health issue.

If you have any questions about the MCAN initiative or the Call for Proposals, please contact Meera Viswanathan, Ph.D., RTI International, at 1-877-294-1301 or mcan@rti.org. A copy of the complete MCAN Call for Proposals can be found at <a href="http://www.merck.com/about/cr/mcan">http://www.merck.com/about/cr/mcan</a>.