Abstract
textabstractThe high prevalence of allergic diseases warrants for sufcient health care provisions available to patients with allergic diseases. Allergy care should be delivered by well-trained specialists. However, the current status of allergy care is not well documented. For this reason a survey among European and a few non-European countries was launched by the National Allergy Society Committee from the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the Union Europeenne des Medecins Specialistes section and board of Allergology. The survey shows that in the vast majority of countries allergy care services are available. However, a substantial heterogeneity is reported regarding recognition of the full specialty, the number of practicing specialists or subspecialists, and training aspects. Growth but also decline of specialty and subspecialties is reported. In addition, the survey gives insight in strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in this feld. It appears that the recognition of the full specialty determines strength as well as weakness. Aging of specialists combined with a decline in the number of trainees form a major threat. Opportunities are seen in creating awareness for allergy, focus on attracting young physicians. The conclusion is that harmonization of allergy services across Europe is needed. Investment in young doctors, creating new opportunities and lobbying for the full specialty is required
Highlights
The prevalence of allergic diseases is high
Specialty and subspecialty Questionnaires were sent to the 51 members of the National Allergy Societies Committee (NASC) and the 30 countries linked with the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS) Allergology Section & Board (S&B)
In Denmark there are training possibilities in adult Allergology (2 years) and Pediatric Allergology (3 years), this training is not recognized as official specialty or subspecialty by the Danish National Medical Association (NMA)
Summary
In Europe the prevalence of allergic rhinitis is ranging from 17 to 29% [1], whereas asthma varies from 1.3 to 11% according to a European survey among children and adults [2]. In a Finnish cohort of children the rate of physiciandiagnosed asthma reached 7.1%, hay fever amounted to 6.2% and the frequency of atopic eczema was 26.5% [3]. Recent data from the Swedish BAMSE cohort show that the prevalence of early life food related symptoms (FRS) and food allergy (FA) amount 12.2% and 6.8% respectively. A meta-analysis estimates the prevalence of food allergy in Europe at 0.1–6% [5]. Foods and drugs may lead to severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) as documented in the European Anaphylaxis Registry [6, 7]
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