A Growing Challenge for Australian Families
For nine-year-old Edward, the joy of a birthday party often comes with an unspoken challenge. When the cake is cut, he knows he won’t get a slice. This situation isn’t unique to his birthday; it also happens at daycare, where other children receive cupcakes while he gets a bowl of muesli instead.
Edward has lived with food allergies since he was seven months old. Over the years, the list of ingredients he can’t eat has grown—from milk and cashews to a variety of nuts and now shellfish. While he doesn’t seem to be bothered by this, his mother, Natalie Nguyen, feels the weight of the fear that his allergies might set him apart from his peers.
“It’s a little heartbreaking because he watches everyone else eating things and has to wonder what it tastes like,” she said. “I worry about kids feeling ostracised and like they’re always the odd kid out.”
Edward’s experience reflects a broader issue in Australia. Food allergies affect approximately one in 10 children, making it a significant public health concern. Allergic diseases touch about a third of the population, and the economic impact is substantial.
The cost of allergies to the national economy was estimated at $18.9 billion in 2024, according to a 2025 Deloitte Access Economics report. This figure includes productivity losses due to work absences, efficiency losses, and increased health system costs. The federal government has taken steps to address the rising prevalence of allergies, including the establishment of the National Allergy Centre for Excellence (NACE) in 2022.
However, experts like NACE director Professor Kirsten Perrett believe more funding is needed for cutting-edge research. “There is so much more work to do,” she said. “We need more investment in our researchers, and more funding for studies and clinical trials to explore the underlying mechanisms, discover and test novel treatments and prevention approaches, and to improve care for people living with allergies.”
Ms. Nguyen is passionate about ensuring Australians don’t become complacent in the search for better treatments. “I still have hope that one day we’re going to see a magic pill and then they’ll all be OK,” she said.
While there are positive signs that new feeding guidelines have helped halt the rise of food allergies among infants, Dr. Perrett notes that the same cannot be said for other types of allergies. Hayfever is the most common allergic condition in Australia, followed by eczema, asthma, and food and drug allergies.
Dr. Perrett explains that the drivers behind each allergy are unique, but the overall increase in allergies is linked to a lack of exposure to allergens in early life. “It is very important that developing immune systems be exposed early in life to allergens and environmental exposures,” she said. This insight highlights the need for ongoing research and education to better understand and manage allergic conditions in the Australian population.
