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In Finland (population 5,5 million), a 10-year national campaign to treat allergic diseases was initiated in 2008. It was carefully planned and based on consensus among experts 1–3 because the long-term strategy of allergen avoidance had not reduced the burden or stopped the “epidemic”. New insights into immune development in modern, urban societies have challenged conventional thinking. A public health programme has now been implemented, and an avoidance strategy was replaced with a tolerance strategy 4. This course of action was supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the National Institute for Health and Welfare. Revisiting the asthma and allergy paradigms has led to actions relevant to society and healthcare as a whole
Haahtela et al. (Thu,) studied this question.