The Allergy Aware website is a resource hub that aims to provide people working in schools, children’s education and care services and camps, as well as parents, health professionals and students, with information and practical resources to manage severe allergies in the school and children’s education and care settings.

This website has been developed by the National Allergy Council to support the allergy aware approach recommended in the Best practice guidelines for the prevention and management of anaphylaxis, developed in partnership with the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia and in consultation with key stakeholders.

What is the National Allergy Council?  

The National Allergy Council is a partnership between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA), the peak medical and patient support organisations for allergy in Australia.

The National Allergy Council has received funding from the Australian Government Department of Health to implement the National Allergy Strategy since 2016. The National Allergy Council works with ASCIA, A&AA and key stakeholder organisations to implement the National Allergy Strategy through several key projects:

• Allergy 250K youth project
• Nip allergies in the Bub food allergy prevention project 
• Allergy aware schools and children’s education and care project
• Food allergy aware food service project  
• Shared care for allergy project 
• Drug allergy and digital health project

Why was a National Allergy Strategy developed?

Allergic disease has become an increasingly important chronic disease and public health issue in Australia and other developed countries over the last two decades, contributing to increased demand for medical services, significant economic cost of care and reduced quality of life of people with allergic disease and their carers. Currently affecting more than 5 million Australians, the rapid and continuing rise of allergic disease is therefore a serious public health issue that requires action by all levels of government and the community.

In 2014-2015, ASCIA and A&AA, developed and launched the first National Allergy Strategy for Australia, in collaboration with other stakeholder organisations. An important guiding principle is that the National Allergy Strategy remains patient and consumer focused. This is reflected in the aim of the National Allergy Strategy:

To improve the health and quality of life of Australians with allergic diseases, and minimise the burden of allergic diseases on individuals, their carers, healthcare services and the community.

For more information about the Strategy, visit the Our Strategy page.

For more information about the National Allergy Council, visit the website.

To find out more about ASCIA and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia, click here.