Consumer healthcare company Opella and the World Allergy Organisation (WAO) on Monday announced a five-year global partnership running from 2027 through 2031 to improve the recognition and management of allergic diseases in everyday care settings worldwide.
The partnership, announced at the 32nd World Allergy Congress (WAC) in Kyoto, Japan, aims to combine the WAO’s global network of allergy societies with Opella’s self-care expertise to support clinicians who most frequently manage allergic diseases, including general practitioners, paediatricians, pharmacists, nurses, and primary care teams.
At the congress, the two entities unveiled the inaugural WAO-Opella Award for Innovative Solutions in Everyday Allergy Care, which will celebrate measurable improvements in how allergic diseases are recognised and managed at the frontline level. The award’s first cycle will focus on care for children and adolescents, reflecting the under-recognised impact of allergic diseases on sleep, school attendance, and daily life. Entries will open in January 2027, with winners to be announced in mid-2027 and presented at the World Allergy Congress in October 2027.
Additionally, Opella and the WAO will collaborate on a joint ‘Self-care in Allergy Report’ scheduled for release in December to highlight the need for stronger awareness, earlier action, and better support for patients living with allergies.
A central focus of the partnership is driving earlier recognition of allergic diseases, supporting best-practice management, and spotlighting innovative approaches that improve patient outcomes. According to the announcement, allergic diseases affect a substantial and growing proportion of the global population, particularly the youth. Allergic rhinitis alone affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and frequently remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, impacting sleep, school, work performance, well-being, and quality of life. The partnership notes that earlier recognition, appropriate self-care, timely professional advice, and clear referral pathways can reduce this broader burden.
The WAO will invite its global network of allergy societies to promote and participate in the partnership, alongside engagement with international key opinion leaders. Further details regarding upcoming health literacy programmes and frontline initiatives will be shared in the coming months.
Josephine Fubara, Chief Science Officer of Opella, said: “Healthcare professionals and pharmacists are often the first point of care for millions of people living with allergies. This new partnership combines Opella’s expertise in self-care with WAO’s scientific leadership to help advance allergy care globally. Through peer-to-peer healthcare professional engagement, education and health literacy initiatives, and the development of evidence-based allergy resources and care pathways, we aim to put health in people’s hands and give them the knowledge and resources they need to manage their allergies and health with confidence.”
Mário Morais-Almeida, President of the World Allergy Organization, added: “Allergic diseases are often first recognized and managed far from the allergist’s office – in primary care, pediatrics, pharmacies and community settings. The quality of that first interaction can shape the entire patient journey. This partnership will help bring evidence-based, WAO-endorsed guidance closer to the professionals who see these patients every day, while recognizing their essential role in patient-centered care and helping reduce gaps in access to high-quality allergy care worldwide.”