Asthma Foundation steps in with allergy training

In a national first, the Asthma Foundation in Tasmania has developed a program to help deal with allergies in Tasmanian schools. Their involvement has been prompted by the fact that almost every person who has died from anaphylaxis has also suffered from uncontrolled asthma, yet a person who has well-controlled asthma and also suffers from anaphylaxis is at no greater risk of death from anaphylaxis than a person without asthma.

As anaphylaxis rates in Australia have been found to be increasing dramatically, largely due to a five-fold increase in peanut allergies observed in young children during the past 10 years, in any average-sized classroom there is a 25 per cent chance that at least one student will have this life threatening condition. At the same time, asthma affects 15,000 Tasmanian children.

The aim of the Asthma Foundation of Tasmania's Schools Program is that it should be substantial enough to reduce risk to students with asthma or severe allergies but easy enough to implement in all schools. It is hoped the program will decrease the likelihood of a loss of life due to asthma and severe allergies and decrease physical discomfort or mental anguish suffered by children due to asthma and severe allergies.

More information about the Asthma Foundation of Tasmania's Schools Program can be found at www.asthmatas.org.au