Dozens of people in Rijeka were tested for the ragweed allergen and learned how to recognise this plant that affects an increasing number of people. The Dermatology and Venerology Clinic team of the Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka partnered with JGL to implement another activity as part of the wider public health initiative called "Allergic to allergies”.
The initiative is being held for the fourth year in a row, and is aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of ragweed, educating the public, and becoming more actively involved in eliminating this harmful plant. The general public could also explore the free Alergični ("Allergic”) mobile app that can be used for photographing and marking the geolocation of ragweed habitats. By doing so, users can help relevant public services, ecological societies and conscientious citizens in locating high-risk areas.
"It’s ragweed season, and ragweed pollen is extremely allergenic, causing an increasing number of problems in a large share of the population. It is therefore important to learn how to recognise and eliminate it, which is, in fact, a legal obligation under the laws and regulations of local authorities. We use these events to educate and raise awareness in a large number of people, some of whom don’t event know they are allergic to ragweed. We also place an emphasis on the need to eliminate the plant, track the pollen count and follow the pollen forecast,” says Liliana Stojnić Soša, MD, who conducted the testing on over a hundred citizens at the ZTC shopping centre in Rijeka together with her team from the Dermatology Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka.
The doctors and nurses at the Clinical Hospital centre also educated the people of Rijeka on the fact that nearly a third of the population today experiences allergy-related difficulties, with ragweed being one of the most widespread allergenic plant species, which is why its systemic removal from public spaces is so important. To inform the public on the causes and methods of alleviating allergy symptoms, the initiative also set up the alergicni.com website that lists all of the reported ragweed locations.