Please list any other organisations you have collaborated with on this submission.
Who you have consulted with
Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
National Allergy Strategy (NAS)
What is your submission about?
Please provide a brief summary of your submission
Topic name
Allergy &Anaphylaxis Australia (“A&AA”) is a registered charity and Australia’s only national support organisation, dedicated to helping individuals and carers alike in managing allergy and anaphylaxis.
Our Vision: Improved quality of life for all Australians living with allergic disease.
Our Mission: The trusted charity for allergy support. We listen, guide and educate Australians living with allergic disease. We advocate on their behalf to ensure their voice is heard.
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia would like to see the following question included in the 2021 census:
Do you have one or more of the following allergic conditions (select all that apply):
o Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
o Food allergy
o Allergy to insect stings or bites
o Drug (medication) allergy
o Severe life threatening allergy (anaphylaxis)
o Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
This information would be very helpful in planning our services and directing our resources in a more targeted manner.
Choose your area of interest
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(Required)
Population
Sex and gender
Households and families
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Income and work
Unpaid work and care
Education and training
Disability and carers
Housing
Location
Transport
Cultural diversity
Religion
Ticked
Other topic
If Other topic please specify
Health
Assessment Criteria 1
1.
This topic is of current national importance.
National Importance
Allergic diseases are one of the fastest growing conditions worldwide and are a major public health problem. The world is dealing with an allergy epidemic. It is critical that we capture data on allergic diseases in Australia.
Obtaining national data regarding allergic conditions via the Census will provide insight into the national magnitude of these conditions and support policy and resource development and allocation to improve the quality of life of Australians living with allergic conditions.
Assessment Criteria 2
2.
There is a need for data from a Census of the whole population.
For whole population
The current data available regarding allergic conditions tends to be focussed in particular regions and national data is lacking. Further to this, there is very little data on allergy prevalence regarding all allergic conditions – the majority of the data currently collected focuses on specific allergies rather than all allergic conditions.
Assessment Criteria 3
3.
The topic can be accurately collected in a form which the household completes themselves.
Easy to answer
Data regarding allergic conditions can be accurately collected by the inclusion of a question in the Census. The topic is likely to be easily understood by respondents; the topic can be collected in a simple question; respondents will easily know the answer to the question; and the question is easy and quick to answer.
Assessment Criteria 4
4.
The topic would be acceptable to Census respondents.
Acceptable
The inclusion of a question about allergic conditions would be acceptable to Census respondents as the topic is not likely to be considered intrusive, offensive or controversial. Respondents are also likely to be willing and able to answer the question accurately.
Assessment Criteria 5
5.
The topic can be collected efficiently.
Collected efficiently
The question about allergic conditions that we are proposing will not present major difficulties for coding the information. The question will not require extensive processing and the will not significantly add to the overall cost of the Census. The question will not require a lengthy instruction or explanation and will not require a large number of response categories or multiple questions.
Assessment Criteria 6
6.
There is likely to be a continuing need for data on this topic in the following Census.
Continuing need
In Australia, allergic conditions appear to be rapidly increasing without clear explanation for the cause. Therefore, ongoing collection of data about allergic conditions is valuable to inform us as to whether any efforts to prevent allergic conditions are successful.
Assessment Criteria 7
7.
There are no other alternative data sources or solutions that could meet the topic need.
No alternatives
Currently national data regarding allergic conditions is not being collected in a meaningful way through any other sources.