The National Allergy Strategy has supported the one in five Australians affected by allergic disease but for more progress $10 million is needed.
“The statistics regarding allergies in Australia are concerning and require serious attention. One in 10 infants now have a food allergy, and food-allergy-induced anaphylaxis has doubled in the last 10 years,” National Allergy Strategy Steering Committee Co-Chair and paediatric clinical immunology/allergy specialist, Associate Professor Richard Loh, said. “Sadly, there have been many near misses and preventable deaths related to food and drug allergy.
“The National Allergy Strategy was established to address the alarming statistics and improve the quality of life of all Australians living with allergic conditions. We are very thankful for the government support to date and input from many stakeholder groups. This has enabled us to agree on priorities and make significant progress in important areas requiring national attention, including food service training and engaging teenagers. It is crucial that we continue this ground-breaking work, and we encourage the government to maintain their commitment. We require $10 million dollars over five years to ensure that we continue to progress the National Allergy Strategy implementation.”
Senator Richard Di Natale supports the need for a national response. “With more than four million Australians affected, we must have a coordinated, funded, national strategy and response,” he said. “The risks are too great to ignore. This is a critically important strategy and it must be supported at the highest levels to make sure no more lives are lost to allergy.”
The National Allergy Strategy food allergen management in food service project has been particularly successful, with more than 4,500 people completing the free ‘All about Allergens’ online training course launched in July 2017. This course provides comprehensive information relevant to the food service industry that is fast, simple and, importantly, free.
www.foodallergytraining.org.au
