By 2040 every second patient in the EU will suffer from some type of allergy. Despite the fact that allergies affect more than 60 million people in all European countries, there is an alarming deficit and growing disparity in the number of allergists and number of severe allergy patients. In many European countries there are not enough allergists and general practitioners who are able to diagnose the disease at an early stage. This extremely worrisome

Helsinki, 8-9 November 2012 - Representatives from the Finnish Allergy Programme (FAP) joined participants from three EFA member delegations visiting Helsinki from Bulgaria, Italy and Norway to educate them on the FAP's origins and successful implementation. The two day  meeting introduced the FAP in a clear and understandable format, while allowing for an opportunity for the delegations to collaborate and brainstorm comparable national programmes

The adoption of the new EU regulation on the provision of food information to consumers by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU was welcomed by EFA as a positive step to enhance the protection of the health of people with allergies. Clear and understandable food information helps consumers make better-informed choices and safe use of food, important for people with food allergy or intolerance or with special dietary requirements because

Brussels, 22 November 2011 - The statistics speak for themselves: 1 in every 2 Europeans will suffer from an allergy by 2015, but what's worse is that their chronic condition is very likely to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. This is the message of the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Association (EFA) to the European Parliament yesterday during the launch of its new book on respiratory allergies. EFA Press Release - EFA

Brussels, 15 November 2011 - EFA commeorates World COPD Day 2011 with a press relese to simultaneously acknowledge the work accomplished during the Second COPD Workshop hosted by MPs Seán Kelly and Karin Kadenbach at the European Parliament on 9 November. The meeting on the eve of World COPD Day 2011 successfully brought together policymakers, doctors, patients and other stakeholders to discuss the necessary directions for the research and treatment

On World Asthma Day 2011 (3 May), A team of international experts are set to develop a pioneering tool to help tailor the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as part of a new EU project. The 5-year AirPROM* project, which is being launched this month (May 2011), will create computed and physical models of the whole airways system, to help scientists and doctors predict how patients might react to different treatments.

On World Asthma Day 2011 (3 May), people with asthma and severe asthma in Europe are being encouraged to get creative for a unique art contest which will explore what it is like to live with the condition. The contest is open to people of all ages and will help bridge the gap between doctors’ understanding of the condition and a person’s experience of it. EFA Press release - About the contest and how to join

Barcelona, 24 January 2011 - EFA is today attending the kick-off meeting of the MeDALL project (Mechanisms of the Development of ALLergy) in Barcelona. EFA is a partner in this project, which aims to increase understanding of allergy in Europe, improve and mainstream allergy managment practices, and and develop prevention of allergy in general. EFA press release

Brussels, 17 November 2010 - "It took me 3/4 hours to walk 259 yards (228m)' said Allan Stone, COPD patient. The video clip presents Allan's experience of living with COPD, key information on the disease, the launch of the EFA publication on COPD in twelve European countries and the EFA Call to Action at the European Parliament in June 2010. Media Alert

BRUSSELS, 6 November 2010 - EFA announced today the finalisation of a book for the first time analysing the ‘state’ of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Europe from patient perspective. COPD, although ranked the 4th cause of death in the EU, remains largely unknown. Recognising the urgent need to bring COPD out of the shadows, EFA collected information from patients associations from 12 European countries. The book will be launched

BRUSSELS, 14 July 2010 - COPD affects 44 million people in Europe and is the 4th leading cause of death worldwide. The WHO predicts it will become the 3rd by 2030. The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) launched a Call to Action on 30th of June at the European Parliament. EFA, the European Respiratory Society (ERS), the European Lung Foundation (ELF), the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), the

BRUSSELS, 1 July 2010 - The "Environment and Health and EU policy" session of the European Commission’s Open Health Forum meeting in Brussels 29th of June, co-organised by EFA and the Health and Environment Alliance, gave strong recommndation to the European Commission that European Union's role in protecting health through environmental policy could be enhanced by a visionary second European Union Environment and Health Action Plan (EHAP). Press