President Barack Obama says climate change affects people's health as he addressed what should be done about the issue.

The president's push for climate change reform was influenced by his daughter Malia, who had an asthma attack at the age of 4, The Hill reports.

"What I can relate to is the fear a parent has, when your 4-year-old daughter comes up to you and says, 'Daddy, I'm having trouble breathing,'" Obama said in an interview broadcast Wednesday. "The fright you feel is terrible."

He added, "And if we can make sure that our responses to the environment are reducing those incidents, that's something that I think every parent would wish for."

Climate change is a major priority for the Obama administration although all of the strategies have not been welcomed by all of Congress.

President Obama announced Tuesday the steps government and businesses should take to better understand and deal with the issues of climate change, Yahoo! News reports according to AP.

Obama mentioned that changing climate can spark wildfires that eventually send pollution into the air. The effects of climate change has also lengthened allergy seasons and caused insect-borne diseases to rise.

"We've got to do better in protecting our vulnerable families," Obama said. "You can't cordon yourself off from air."

The president spoke at Howard University's Medical School announcing that he has already gained the commitments from Google and Microsoft to help America's health system prepare for climate change.

Obama wants to show people how climate change can really affect health since speculation is that funding programs to combat global warming may not be worth the money.

He says that spending the money will mean money saved in the long run.

According to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, people who suffer from an increase in asthma attack triggers spend less time at work and school.

Murthy recalls seeing numerous patients suffer from breathing problems and lost an uncle to a severe asthma attack.

Obama has already started taking steps to curb U.S. emissions including limits on vehicles and power plants.