Eliminating asthma disparities: introduction to the Chicago story.

The problem of inner-city asthma, as studied in Chicago, IL, is introduced. Chicago has a high incidence of asthma, but prevalence, morbidity, and mortality rates vary by neighborhood and are highest in neighborhoods with the lowest socioeconomic status. Efforts in Chicago to mitigate these gaps have been extraordinary, but data suggest that there are challenges to improvement in removing disparities.