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IN honour of World Allergy Week (Sunday to Saturday, 2 to 8 April), the newly-formed Allergy Foundation of South Africa (AFSA) hosts an allergy awareness programme at the Life Westville Hospital Auditorium on Saturday, 1 April from 9am to 11am.
This meeting will provide a platform for allergy sufferers to engage with and learn from experts in the field.
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“Currently patients have to wait months to see a specialist if they are fortunate enough to access care at all. This is largely due to a very low number of registered allergists in the country – of which there are only 15 – and few dedicated allergy clinics.
This is particularly problematic because allergic diseases are the most common chronic diseases of childhood and markedly affect quality of life and learning potential in children. In addition, allergies are increasing rapidly in South Africa and the rate of increase is fastest among rural and poor populations, in whom allergy was previously uncommon,” said host of the allergy awareness Programme, Dr Ahmed Manjra, a KZN paediatrician, allergist and AFSA director.
Visit allergyfoundation.co.za for downloadable patient information brochures and more details on the organisation. Sign up for the newsletter by emailing www.allergyfoundation.co.za or follow AFSA on Facebook or Twitter.
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