As we approach 2023, we look back on the strides we made throughout 2022 to advance the health and safety of the food allergy community. We are grateful for all we have been able to accomplish with your help.

Because you gave generously, we were able to support, educate, and advocate for the millions of people with food allergies so they can have a better quality of life. Below are some of the ways you helped us fulfill our mission this year.

In 2022, you helped us:

• Update our brand, website, and online community to embody our mission and values more fully and better represent the people living with asthma and allergies.
  
  
• Publish Child Care Policies for Food Allergy: Elijah’s Law Report for U.S. States and Territories in partnership with the Elijah-Alavi Foundation (EAF). The report includes:
  • A review of state-level policies protecting children with food allergies in child care programs
  • A toolkit for advocates to support Elijah’s Law in new states

• Send food allergy policy recommendations to advise the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September. AAFA’s recommendations for improving health for people with food allergies are:
  • Require allergen information on foods sold online
  • Require insurance to cover elemental or amino acid formulas
  • Improve food ingredient label standards and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforcement
  • Improve federal food assistance programs to be inclusive of food allergies
  • Make epinephrine more affordable and easier to get
  • Require allergen information on restaurant menus

• Share stories describing the infant formula shortage’s devastating impact on the food allergy community with policymakers and public health officials. The national advocacy effort helped encourage the FDA to act by releasing additional cans of specialty infant formula.
  
  
• Host Food Allergy Awareness Week and 31 Days of Action for National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month that included updated shareable graphics, an asthma and food allergy Twitter chat, ”Ask the Expert” community chat, epinephrine education, and our annual Remembrance Day.
  
  
• Release two Voice of the Patient reports – one on childhood asthma and one on food allergies – to share the reality of managing these diseases with the FDA and other stakeholders to help lead to better treatments.
  
  
• Host a Zoom-In on Health Equity so patients and advocates from across the U.S. could let Congress know what policies can help improve the lives of people managing food allergies and other allergic diseases.
  
  
• Join with other food allergy advocates in filing a comment about Southwest Airlines to the Department of Transportation (DOT) after they stopped allowing passengers with peanut allergy to pre-board flights in October.
  
  
• Continue to educate the food allergy community about how to prevent and treat respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV.
  
  
• Develop and advance programs that reduce health disparities faced by Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous Americans with asthma and allergies.
  
  
• Publish the  2022 Allergy Capitals™ and 2022 Asthma Capitals™ reports to help people recognize, prevent, and manage asthma and allergy symptoms and understand how where they live may impact their conditions.

• Collaborate with PlatformQ Health to offer patient and health care provider education on eosinophilic esophagitis, as well as other conditions like asthma and atopic dermatitis.

• Provide resources and support to nearly 55,000 people on two online patient communities.