94607: Oakland's Childhood Asthma Hotspot

Published on Sunday, May 31, 2009
Last updated on 11:29AM, Thursday, February 18, 2010

Exercise and a health diet can help manage asthma

For one slice of West Oakland, being wedged between two freeways takes a heavy toll on the lungs of residents -- especially children...

Part of the Bay Area Toxic Tour series, a journalism project originally published May-June 2009 on Newsdesk.org. Funding provided by individual contributors through Spot.us.org.

NEXT IN THIS SERIES: June 1: West Oakland Neighbors Tackle Toxic Legacy

PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES: May 27: Inside West Oakland's "Breathmobile"

About Kim Komenich

Kim Komenich worked as a staff photographer and editor for the San Francisco Chronicle (2000-2009) and the San Francisco Examiner (1982-2000). He was awarded the 1987 Pulitzer Prize in Spot News Photography for photographs of the Philippine Revolution he made while on assignment for the Examiner.

Story Features

West Oakland 's high asthma rates are a problem the community has been working on for years; what are the issues?

West Oakland's proximity to the Port of Oakland, where more than 10,000 truck trips a day occur, has led to high rates of childhood asthma

Asthma, the most common chronic disease among children in the United States, causes wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.