EFA member Allergy UK has published a new magazine for healthcare professionals and EFA meets soon-to-be member RESPIRA in Portugal. Allergy UK launches new HCP magazine Allergy Today Allergy UK has just published Allergy Today, a new magazine for healthcare professionals. The comprehensive publication contains informative articles about allergy and intolerance designed to increase knowledge of allergy at primary and secondary care level. Targeting GPs, health visitors, midwives and nurses, the publication is written by healthcare professionals from AllergyUK’s Health Advisory Board and other areas. Topics include allergy NICE guidelines, food labelling and the role of allergy in primary care. The magazine is being distributed around the UK and will be available to view here EFA meets RESPIRA in Lisboa, Portugal to discuss future cooperation and Portugal’s national situation On the 24th of October EFA’s Susanna Palkonen and David Brennan travelled to Lisboa, Portugal, to meet with RESPIRA, the Portuguese association for patients of COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases. They were warmly greeted by the entire RESPIRA Board, which is comprised entirely of volunteers. The aim of the meeting was for both sides to become more familiar each other, to identify areas for future cooperation and discuss the current problems existing for patient associations in Portugal. Each group presented its goals, activities and recent events and the RESPIRA Board explained that membership has increased from 32 to 600 in the space of 5 years, demonstrating a clear interest by Portuguese patients in stronger representation. The organisation has organised impressive public awareness campaigns in past years and intends to continue efforts with a TV campaign to mark World COPD Day 2012. EFA and RESPIRA discussed reimbursement policies in Portugal and the difficulties of access to liquid oxygen for patients in need. RESPIRA taught EFA about the National Program for Respiratory Disease in Portugal, which targets all chronic respiratory diseases, and confirmed its involvement in the government’s efforts to tackle the increase in chronic respiratory diseases in the country. EFA warmly welcomes RESPIRA’s application to become EFA’s newest member in 2013.