On behalf of Australians living with allergic diseases, the National Allergy Strategy, a partnership between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA), and the Centre for Food & Allergy Research (CFAR), acknowledge the $26.9 million investment into allergy prevention and management announced on 29 March 2022, as part of the 2022 federal government budget.

This investment will provide support for the new National Allergy Council and National Allergy Centre of Excellence, which will be launched during the ASCIA 2022 Conference week. The NAC will continue to implement the National Allergy Strategy, working in collaboration with the NACE and other stakeholders. For more information, ASCIA 2022 Conference delegates can visit the NAC and NACE exhibition stands, or attend the NAC sponsored session on Wednesday morning. 

This signifincant government investment has been made in response to the 2019 bipartisan Parliamentary Inquiry into Allergies and Anaphylaxis, and the 24 recommendations in the Walking the allergy tightrope report, which highlighted the critical need for further investment to address this continuing public health challenge.

The investment will provide support to:

• Enable the National Allergy Strategy to transition into the National Allergy Council (NAC), to develop and implement programs to increase access to care and provide education and support for health professionals, consumers and the community.
• Fund evidence-based education and support programs that are developed and implemented by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA), working as a partnership in the National Allergy Council.
• Expand the Centre for Food & Allergy Research (CFAR) at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) into the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE), to increase and coordinate research throughout Australia on food allergies, as well as drug, vaccine, insect, and pollen allergies.

Establishing a National Allergy Council (NAC) is a natural progression of the highly valued and successful National Allergy Strategy.  The National Allergy Council will continue to be a partnership between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA), the leading medical and patient support organisations for allergy in Australia.

The Centre for Food & Allergy Research (CFAR) will expand to become the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE). NACE will generate and synthesise the evidence base that underpins the activities of the proposed National Allergy Council (NAC), to ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of evidence-based management of allergic disease.

Working together, these organisations will deliver:

• A shared care program to significantly cut wait times to see a specialist by at least 50 per cent and improve access to quality allergy care for all Australians, especially in rural and remote areas
• The digital infrastructure for a National Allergy Registry and Biobank to facilitate precision medicine, allowing individualised allergy healthcare for children and adults. This would include a live anaphylaxis reporting system
• A world-first National Allergy Clinical Trials Network to provide Australians with accelerated access to safe and effective allergy treatments.
• Continued public health guidelines and prevention programs such as the successful ‘Nip allergies in the Bub’ program, which includes practical resources for parents and educational resources to support healthcare providers.
• New clinical and research capabilities to enable Australia to maintain its world-leading status in allergy research and to answer the most important questions in allergy that will guide the way forward.

We greatly appreciate the support that the Australian Government has given for these critical initiatives. The National Allergy Strategy, ASCIA, A&AA and CFAR would like to thank:

• The Australian Government, and Minister Hunt in particular, for investing in the health and wellbeing of the many Australians living with allergic diseases.
• The Hon Trent Zimmerman MP (chair) and Dr Mike Freelander MP, (deputy chair) of the bipartisan Parliamentary Inquiry into Allergies and Anaphylaxis committee.
• Dr Katie Allen MP, member of the of the bipartisan Parliamentary Inquiry into Allergies and Anaphylaxis committee for her tireless work in advocating for those living with allergic disease
• The other Parliamentary Inquiry into Allergy and Anaphylaxis committee members Mr Tony Zappia MP, Mr Milton Dick MP, Ms Angie Bell MP, Mrs Lucy Wicks MP, Dr Fiona Martin MP and Ms Bridget Archer MP.
• The Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Ged Kearney MP, who made a speech about Allergy and Anaphylaxis in Parliament on 3 August 2021. The speech is available at https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2F5cede918-e6ef-479c-a8e0-c8caa535d0ab%2F0154%22 

I also take this opportunity to thank:

• ASCIA Presidents (current and past), ASCIA members, ASCIA staff, patients, carers and supporters, for their contributions to advocacy for allergic diseases since ASCIA was established over 30 years ago.
• National Allergy Strategy co-Chairs (Dr Preeti Joshi - ASCIA and Maria Said - A&AA), and Manager (Sandra Vale), for their intense work on advocacy over the past few years.

We are entering very exciting times for allergic diseases and anaphylaxis in Australia.

Jill Smith

ASCIA CEO

This information has been adapted from www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/budget-2022-23-allergic-disease-and-anaphylaxis

This news item was issued on 30 March 2022 and updated on 18 August 2022 by Jill Smith, CEO of ASCIA, the peak professional body for clinical immunology and allergy in Australia and New Zealand.