Australia invests further $14.6 million in national allergy research

Australian Government funding until June 2028 of a further $14.6 million for the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) and the National Allergy Council (NAC) — a partnership between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia — has been announced.

The funding is to accelerate national allergy research and public health programs that support Australians living with allergic disease, with the NAC and NACE established in August 2022 with an initial $26.9 million in federal funding.

“Allergies can take a huge physical and emotional toll on people with allergic reactions [and] anaphylaxis, and while rare, deaths are increasing and present an everyday risk for many families,” NAC CEO Dr Sandra Vale said.

“This funding will directly support our work in delivering accessible, nationally standardised and evidence-based public health initiatives, education, training and everyday support for people living with allergic disease and those who care for them.”

Professor Kirsten Perrett, Director of the NACE, said: “Our focus is to address complex clinical challenges through embedded allergy research, rigorous evaluation and the rapid translation of emerging evidence into clinical care. We are ensuring Australia remains at the forefront of allergy research.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Jacob Wackerhausen