6 November 2020: 

It is a pleasure to announce that the ASCIA Immunodeficiency Strategy for Australia and New Zealand has now been completed and is available at www.nationalimmunodeficiencystrategy.org.au

Over the past two years ASCIA has worked in collaboration with patient organisations (AusPIPs Inc, HAE Australasia, IDFA, IDFNZ) and other stakeholders to develop the first Immunodeficiency Strategy at a national level for both Australia and New Zealand. The Mission of the Strategy is to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) and minimise the burden on individuals, carers, health services and the community.

The Strategy was completed in time for it to be lodged as an attachment to the ASCIA submission in response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into approval processes for new drugs and novel medical technologies in Australia. The ASCIA submission was lodged by the extended deadline of Tuesday 3 November 2020 and is available at www.allergy.org.au/ascia-reports#s1

The ASCIA Immunodeficiency Strategy content is not influenced by the support received via unrestricted educational grants from CSL Behring (2019 and 2020), and Grifols (2019), which enabled ASCIA to develop the Strategy document. 

ASCIA looks forward to working in collaboration with patient organisations, other stakeholders and governments to implement the ASCIA Immunodeficiency Strategy for Australia and New Zealand Strategy from 2021 onwards. It is ASCIA’s intention is to host an official launch and implementation meeting early next year (as a hybrid meeting), subject to further funding. A timeline and strategic action plan for implementation will depend on funding and agreement regarding priorities.