“I’m sending an SOS because my eczema is agony. This disease has taken away my quality of life and is a financial and emotional burden. I wouldn’t wish eczema upon my worst enemy.” - One of many similar quotes from an Aussie with eczema.

> Eczema is a chronic disease which is under-rated and under-supported by our health systems and wider communities.

> Eczema impacts all aspects of life. Eczema comes with the burden of extreme physical pain and itch, burden on families and caregivers, burden on finances, burden on mental health, and burden of daily management.

> Support a call for our State and Federal health systems to recognise and provide dedicated support for over 1 million Australians suffering the long term physical, psychological and financial impacts of eczema. 

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Approximately 1 in 3 Australian children are living with atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema, and over 1 million Australians have been affected by eczema at some point in their lives; and an estimated 27,000 Australians are living with severe eczema. Estimates vary, however, and it is likely that atopic eczema is under-diagnosed and under-reported.

The impact of eczema may be felt across all facets of life, including education, personal relationships and work. People living with eczema have reported experiences of social isolation, severe sleep deprivation and exhaustion, and serious impacts on their mental health. There is also significant financial burden due to an inability to consistently work, as well as the out-of-pocket costs associated with managing eczema.

Atopic eczema is not currently widely recognised or publicly acknowledged by government funders and healthcare providers in Australia as a discrete chronic disease. Other nationally recognised chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease benefit greatly from coordinated federal and State health department funding.

We support a call for State and Federal health systems to recognise and provide dedicated support for over 1 million Australians suffering the long term physical, psychological and financial impacts of eczema.

Eczema Support Australia will petition our health system decision makers to put eczema on the agenda in Australia.

Your petition participation along with our research findings will be presented to key decision makers along with our call for dedicated department funding and recognition of atopic eczema as a chronic and burdensome disease.