World Allergy Organization Launches World Allergy Week 2014
Milwaukee, WI, USA (PRWEB) April 07, 2014 -- World Allergy Week 2014 began today, and will run through 13 April. The World Allergy Organization (WAO), together with 95 national Member Societies, is calling for anaphylaxis preparedness and prevention in a campaign to increase awareness of the relationship between anaphylaxis and allergic diseases.
Internationally known anaphylaxis experts will address the topic of Anaphylaxis – When Allergies Can Be Severe and Fatal in symposium-style conference call today at 9:00 a.m. EDT (New York) and also one on Wednesday 9 April at 2:00 p.m. JST (Tokyo). Toll-free call-in numbers from a variety of countries, as well as other details about the presentations, are listed at http://www.worldallergyweek.org.
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that comes on suddenly after exposure to allergens, most commonly drugs, food, and insect venom, and can be life threatening. According to Dr. Lanny Rosenwasser, President of the World Allergy Organization, the emergency response procedures for when anaphylaxis occurs and also important prevention measures are not as widely known as they should be.
“Preventing accidental allergic reactions is a community-wide effort. Individuals, families, schools, food service establishments, as well as healthcare facilities, all should have an understanding of anaphylaxis, what causes it, and how it can be treated and prevented,” said Dr. Rosenwasser. “Anaphylaxis also needs to be addressed at the level of industry. Labeling of allergens and other precautionary measures in the manufacturing, preparation, and packaging of food, for example, are not fully implemented in many parts of the world. Anaphylaxis educational information and guidelines exist for all stakeholders, and a major effort of World Allergy Week is to increase awareness of these resources.”
Local events including press conferences, patient education programs, radio and web-based programs, and free clinics are taking place in many countries throughout the world, as organized by the WAO member societies and other individuals and healthcare organizations. WAO is also collaborating with patient advocacy organizations to compile a list of resources on anaphylaxis for those at risk as well as information for clinicians, policymakers, and all interested in learning more about anaphylaxis and how to treat it and prevent it. Throughout the week of 7 to 13 April, WAO will continually update the website with news, activities, and resources at http://www.worldallergyweek.org.
About the World Allergy Organization
The World Allergy Organization (WAO) is an international alliance of 95 regional and national allergy, asthma and immunology societies. Through collaboration with its Member Societies WAO provides a wide range of educational and outreach programs, symposia and lectureships to allergists and clinical immunologists around the world and conducts initiatives related to clinical practice, service provision, and physical training in order to better understand and address the challenges facing allergy and immunology professionals worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.worldallergy.org.
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Samantha Machart, Communications Manager, +1 (414) 276-1791, [email protected]
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