6 New Angioedema Centers Now Part of ACARE Global Network
Joint initiative continues to expand programs, network for patients
To continue to improve patient access to top-shelf angioedema care, the global network of Angioedema Centers of Reference and Excellence (ACARE) added six centers last year, two of them in Hong Kong.
More centers are expected to join the ACARE network this year — more than a dozen new applications have been received, the umbrella organization announced in a press release.
A joint initiative of HAE International (HAEi) and the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN), ACARE was established in 2019 to develop an accredited, interactive network of centers that help people manage angioedema, the formal medical term for under-the-skin swelling.
The international network facilitates scientific projects and studies, and educates medical professionals about the rare disorder. Its overarching aims are improving patients’ life quality, increasing understanding of angioedema and how it’s treated, and heightening disease awareness. Hereditary angioedema, or HAE, is thought to affect 1 in 50,000 people worldwide.
“We now have 75 certified ACARE centers — and 18 applicants — as we proudly welcome Queen Mary Hospital/Grantham Hospital in Hong Kong, headed by Dr. Philip Li, to the ACARE network,” said Anthony J. Castaldo, HAEi’s president and CEO.
ACARE goal: improve treatment access
The network includes member centers in the U.S. and Australia, as well as in Russia and South Africa. In South America, member centers are found in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru.
Member centers in Europe include those in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and the U.K.
ACARE centers also can be found in the Asian nations China, India, Japan, and Thailand. Also home to member centers are the Middle Eastern countries Georgia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates,
In the new year, the network plans to open an educational program, called ACARE LevelUP, aimed at equipping physicians with the tools and knowledge needed to provide angioedema patients with excellent care. The program will include webinars, podcasts, and preceptorships, in which experienced clinicians guide and support newly qualified practitioners.
ACARE leaders attended the HAEi Global Leadership Workshop in Frankfurt, Germany, last October, where they interacted with member organizations, as well as researchers and clinicians.
“We loved talking to everyone, hearing new perspectives from member organizations, and discussing what ACARE is all about,” said Rebecca Locke, ACARE’s program manager. “We were all impressed and inspired by the energy and commitment present at the workshop and are happy to be a part of the drive to offer the best possible care to patients with all forms of angioedema.”
The network offers guidelines, with details on its membership qualifications, for care centers interested in joining.
HAEi is a global nonprofit network of patient organizations that seek to improve patients’ lives. GA2LEN is a network of leading European clinical and research facilities in allergy and asthma.
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