World Allergy Week is an international initiative that takes place each year to bring together different groups with the end goal of an integrated approach to addressing the needs to patients suffering from allergic diseases and asthma and those who provide care for them.

Allergies in the workplace are being more commonly identified and are now a significant source of illness. Workers can develop allergies to substances they encounter in their workplace, making occupational allergies a growing concern.

Did you know?

An allergy is an over-reactive immune response to a harmless foreign substance (allergen). It is estimated that allergies affect 30-40% of the general population worldwide; and according to the Allergy foundation of South Africa, a third of the South African population will suffer from at least one allergy during their lifetime. This World Allergy week, we at the NIOH focus on photoallergic contact dermatitis (PACD)

Learn more about World Allergy Week, read about the initiative’s key messages and join the conversation using #WorldAllergyWeek on Twitter.

Download the poster here. Photo Allergic Contact Dermatitis – symptoms and causes