A few years ago, if you had asked DeMara Cosby what a peak flow meter does, she would’ve shrugged. Today, the 10-year-old will happily show you how she uses the device to measure the flow of air from her lungs.

And that’s extremely important to a girl like DeMara. Since the age of 1, she has suffered from asthma, a chronic disease that narrows the airways to her lungs. Asthma is the leading cause of hospitalization at Children’s Hospital Boston; an estimated 16 percent of children in the Boston Public Schools suffer from the disease.

DeMara learned how to manage her symptoms by taking part in the Asthma Health Project, a community-based initiative of Children’s and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). The program shows children how to manage their disease and stay fit and active through activities such as swimming and soccer.

Last year, Children’s joined forces with several organizations, including the BPHC, the Boston Asthma Initiative and the Boston Urban Asthma Coalition, to reach more than 5,000 children, parents and caregivers through a variety of programs.

Teaching children and families how to manage asthma is a vital part of Children’s efforts to help prevent emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and keep children with asthma healthy and active. We know that case management and home visits are good ways to do this. Case managers and health educators make sure children know how to take medications correctly and show families how to avoid triggers at home. Children’s is partnering with the Boston Asthma Initiative to bring asthma education directly to families at home.

We’re also leading the way to eradicate the disease. Recently, research conducted at Children’s pinpointed cells that may be responsible for causing asthma. It’s a discovery that could lead to better ways to treat—or even cure—this debilitating condition.