FOOD ALLERGY GOALS

Food Allergy Goals is a parent driven initiative seeking to address the current lack of food allergy treatment options available in Australia.

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Australians impacted by allergies of all kinds were so pleased when the Federal Government launched an Inquiry into Allergies and Anaphylaxis on 27 August 2019.  It felt like allergies were shaping up to be a focus for the Government in 2020.  Food Allergy Goals was actively involved in the Inquiry, providing submissions and evidence at the public hearings.

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We were also extremely excited when, in May 2020, the Committee responsible for the Inquiry provided a report stating:

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“Many individuals, especially parents of children living with food-related allergies, advocated for the increased availability of food immunotherapy. Currently food immunotherapy is not offered in Australia and several families told the Committee they had travelled overseas to receive immunotherapy for their children. This is an area that will benefit from further research in Australia and this report recommends that clinical research be undertaken with the aim of being able to offer safe and well understood food immunotherapy in the future.”

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Unfortunately, despite the passage of 20 months, the Minister has not responded to the Committee’s recommendations. We are all fearful that this issue, and all the other recommendations made in relation to the significant challenges facing Australians with allergies, will remain unaddressed.

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In September 2021 a food oral immunotherapy trial for pre-school children with peanut allergies was launched at the Perth Children’s Hospital. At Food Allergy Goals were so excited by this development as it is the first of its kind in Australia.  The trial is looking at the effectiveness of food OIT without the need for pharmaceuticals which are the focus of the other Australian OIT trials.  

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The Perth Children’s Hospital clinical immunologist and research trial leader Dr Michael O’Sullivan has stated:

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“With this trial, we a responding to a consumer demand to provide access to food allergy treatments in Australia that are currently available overseas, using a translatable approach that could be applied to other foods and underpin a future national approach to food OIT.”

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As parents of allergic children we cannot ask for more from a food allergy trial.  It is an established trial already achieving excellent results and it has the potential for expansion so treatment options could be rolled out to the many thousands of allergic children in the coming years.  It is exactly what the Committee responsible for the Government Inquiry envisaged – achieving the aim of being able to offer safe and well understood food immunotherapy in the future.

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During election time our elected representatives are listening.  Let’s join together and lobby for Federal funding to support Dr O’Sullivan’s team at the Perth Children’s Hospital to enable them to expand this trial in collaboration with allergy specialists across Australia and formulate a national approach to OIT and give our children new hope and confidence as they head towards life as independent young people.  

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We are tired of waiting – let’s get this done!!!!

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HOW CAN YOU HELP?

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-  Write to your local Federal MP

-  Write to the Federal Health Minister

-  Share the Food Allergy Goals message online.

-  Join the Food Allergy Goals Action Group to get information directly about the progress of the campaign and how you can help.

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There are sample letters available to download following the links below.  The Minister's details are provided with the template.  Most MPs can receive messages online via their websites or email so this should only take a minute of your day. 

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Lets work together to achieve our #FoodAllergyGoals!

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