Princess Basma urges further progress on allergy and immunology

Princess Basma on Wednesday commended the progress Jordan has made in addressing allergy and immunology but noted that much is left to be done. “Allergy and immune deficiency have become major causes for concern not only for governments but for civil societies and NGOs,” she said at the opening ceremony of the 4th International Jordanian Congress of Allergy and Immunology. “Allergies may be hereditary but changes in the environment, lifestyles and pollution have increasingly become factors that promote the development of allergies.” The princess pointed out that in Jordan, work in this field by the Ministry of Health and the Royal Medical Services, as well as civil society institutions including the Jordanian Society of Allergy and Immunology (JSAI), has yielded positive results. She urged concerned parties to work together to combat allergies and immune deficiencies, which she said have far-reaching effects on the life quality of those who suffer from them. “To control the spread of this disease which is directly linked to modern ways of life, changing eating habits and pollution, it has become imperative for allergists and immunologists to engage with environmental and health organisations to help contribute to the overall improvement of public health and the prevention of these illnesses,” Princess Basma said. The conference, which concludes on Friday, is being held under the theme “New horizons in allergy and immunology” with around 400 attendees from Jordan and around the world. The event was organised by the JSAI in collaboration with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the World Allergy Organisation and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.