Allergies are dramatically on the rise in industrialised countries. In Europe today, more than one third of the population is affected.
Allergies restrict quality of life, impair health and can even become life-threatening. The effects of allergies on learning capacity are also significant. Scientific studies have shown that exam performance among school children and students who suffer from allergies is at a rate 30% lower than that of their peers, resulting in a general trend of significantly lower grades.
Regardless of our own degree of allergic sensitivity, we are all affected by this illness; its consequences are not only personal but also societal. Only 10% of all patients with respiratory allergies receive appropriate care. Most are treated incorrectly or are never properly diagnosed. As a result, the illness can spread throughout the body. Of patients with untreated hay fever, 40% develop a further allergy over time: asthma.

Among the general public as well as in the field of health care, there remains a tendency to take allergies lightly. The European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) is committed to spreading awareness of allergies as a serious illness and promoting treatment according to the most advanced medical research. We support continued research on allergies and inform the public about the constantly improving possibilities for better quality of life with allergies.

We do this in that we look for pragmatic solutions that can help allergy patients enjoy a quality of life comparable to that of non-allergic persons. This goal is expressed in the motto of our foundation: “For a better life with allergies.” Our purpose also shows itself in the identification of allergy-friendly products and services through the ECARF Seal of Quality.