Allergy & Asthma Network Partners with American Latex Allergy Association
Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, a leading nonprofit patient education organization, is pleased to announce that its Anaphylaxis Community Expert (ACE) volunteer program is partnering with the American Latex Allergy Association (ALAA) to increase awareness about life-threatening latex allergies.
Latex allergies impact 8-12% of health care workers and 1-6% of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). In addition, 68% of children with spina bifida have latex allergy. ACE volunteers are perfectly positioned in communities across the country to reinforce ALAA’s core messages about latex allergy awareness, avoidance and education.
“With a combined 50 years of serving patients with allergies, the missions of Allergy & Asthma Network and ALAA complement each other well,” says Tonya Winders, Allergy & Asthma Network president and CEO. “In the past 5 years, the ACE program has directly educated more than 60,000 people through community awareness and education activities. This partnership will leverage our organizations’ unique strengths and areas of expertise.”
“Partnering with the ACE program is very exciting for ALAA, as we broaden our reach to help more patients learn to manage their latex allergy,” say ALAA co-founders Sue Lockwood and Marsha Smith.
In addition to the award-winning Anaphylaxis: A Guide for All of Us magazine and Epi Everywhere! Every Day!TM program, ACE volunteers will distribute ALAA’s Living With Latex Allergy, an evidence-based and medically reviewed booklet to help health care professionals and latex allergy patients better understand the condition, including what triggers symptoms and what is needed to manage reactions.
“We are pleased to share these materials with the community to increase awareness of latex allergies-especially for health care staff who may come into contact with latex products,” says Michael Zacharisen, M.D. and ACE volunteer from Bozeman, Montana “Living With Latex Allergy is a great addition to the resources our ACE team shares with the community during free anaphylaxis education programs and presentations.”
The Anaphylaxis Community Experts (ACEs) program was developed by Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics in partnership with the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), National Association of School Nurses and American School Health Association, sponsored by Mylan Specialty L.P. The program’s goal is to save lives by educating parents, school staff, emergency responders, and others how to recognize and respond immediately to anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction.
To request an ACE presentation
Contact Dr. Zacharisen at Family Allergy & Asthma Care of Montana at 406-451-7017.
Allergy & Asthma Network
Allergy & Asthma Network is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. Allergy & Asthma Network specializes in sharing family-friendly, medically accurate information through its award-winning publication Allergy & Asthma Today magazine, E-newsletter, website at http://www.aanma.org and numerous community outreach programs. Follow Allergy & Asthma Network on Facebook at facebook.com/AANMA and on Twitter at twitter.com/AANMA. Join Allergy & Asthma Network athttp://www.aanma.org/join.
About ALAA
The American Latex Allergy Association is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization whose mission is to create awareness of latex allergy through education and provide support to individuals who have been diagnosed with latex allergy.http://latexallergyresources.
About ACAAI
The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is a professional association of allergists/immunologists and allied health professionals dedicated to promoting excellence in the practice of allergy and immunology. www.acaai.org
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