1. Sharing Best Practices Finnish Allergy, Skin and Asthma Federation
European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients`Associations
Annual General and Patient Leaders Meeting
16 April -17 April 2018
Etusivuvaihtoehto 1

2. News from Finnland
The Allergy and Asthma Federation and the Central Organisation for Skin Patients merged on at the beginning of the year 2017 (1 March 2017)
Why? - > For the sake of effectiveness
The organisation comprises
members with their families (a total of about 25,000)
Three regional offices (Helsinki, Mikkeli, Oulu)
53 local associations
Some 150 peergroups
Finnish Allergy, Skin and Asthma Federation research unit in SE Finland

3. The public part of The Finnish Allergy Programme 2008-2018
Allergy and Asthma Federation ( Allergy, Skin and Asthma Federation)
The Organisation for Respiratory Health in Finland
Finnish Central Organisation for Skin Patients
Over members

4. Key messages Endorse health, not allergy Strengthen tolerance
Adopt a new attitude to allergy, and avoid allergens only if mandatory
Recognise and treat severe allergies early; prevent exacerbations
Improve air quality; stop smoking

5. FAP in action: The role of NGOs
A special joint project started in , financed by Finland’s Center for Social Welfare and Health (STEA) (Slot Machine Association)
Target groups: media and general public (not only ’high risk’ groups)
Focusing on the internet, radio, tv
Educational material (posters, leaflets)
Public events as needed
Personnel education: key persons and peer workers in patient organisations

6. Results
The first 5-year results of the programme indicate rapid changes for the better.
Asthma emergency visits and hospital days were halved.
Occupational allergies fell by 40%. In the first decade of the 2000s, the direct allergy and asthma costs together with costs for disability pensions fell 15%.
During the early years of the programme, , these costs have fallen from € 386 to 367 million (-5%).
Asthma costs decreased by 9% and comprised 63% of all costs.

7. Conclusions
Our revisiting of the allergy paradigm has led to actions relevant to society and health-care as a whole
The mid-term results of the programme indicate that the burden of allergy and asthma in the Finnish society has started to decline.

8. Summary of the public part of the Finnish Allergy Programme
Go where the people are: social media!
Be creative: interact with organizations and companies (media, patients, business)
Measure the impacts: money vs. results
Tackle the allergy epidemic – challenge the immune system!
Next steps -> The key message of the programs has changed into an operational model in each co-operation organization
This Programme suggest higly that connection with nature is needed to improve our immunosystem
We have started a new project in connection with the natural environment

9. Thank You!
Kiitossivu