Authors:
Ring J, Akdis C, Lauener R, Schäppi G, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Akdis M, Ammann W, ... , Holt P et al.
Authors notes:
Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 69(8): 978-982.
Keywords:
allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, drug hypersensitivity, eczema, environmental factors, hay fever,patient education, psychosocial environment
Abstract:
Allergic diseases like asthma, eczema, hay fever, anaphylaxis, and food and drug hypersensitivity affect approximately 1 billion people in the world and represent the most prevalent and most costly non-communicable and chronic diseases of childhood (both direct and indirect costs).
The epidemic increase in the prevalence of allergic disease, which first started in the industrialized countries in the 1960s, may have reached a peak in the developed world and an end is not in sight.
Allergic diseases continue to rise in developing countries and developing parts of industrialized countries.
The reasons for this are not well understood, and unfortunately, there is no established way to prevent allergic diseases.
The major unmet needs include public health concerns (such as the very high burden to healthcare costs), inadequate control of the severe and complex allergic diseases, and the lack of curative treatments and preventative strategies.
This paper is a report from the Global Allergy Forum in June 2013 dicussing the most urgent problems and to propose practical suggestions for interventions.