Australian children with life-threatening peanut allergies will receive treatment through a nationwide program.

This initiative is being described as the first of its kind in the world. Under medical supervision in 10 pediatric hospitals across the country, infants will be given gradually increased doses of peanut powder over the course of two years to reduce their sensitivity to peanuts.

“This is the first national peanut allergy treatment to be offered in hospitals outside of a clinical trial setting,” said Kirsten Perrett, head of oral immunotherapy at the National Allergy Centre of Excellence. “We want to change the trajectory of allergic disease in Australia so more children can attend school without the risk of a life-threatening peanut reaction.”

After two years, children must undergo food allergy testing to determine if treatment has brought relief. Previously, families were advised to avoid feeding their children all peanut products.

Australia has one of the highest rates of food allergies in the world, with 3% of children developing a peanut allergy by the age of 12 months. Only 20% of these outgrow the allergy by adolescence.

Nine-month-old Hunter Chatwin, who is part of the free treatment program, started getting hives after eating peanut butter. “We are taking part in this to improve his chances of eating peanuts in the future,” his mother Kirsten told news agency AFP.

“Many families are desperate to protect their children from allergies and anaphylaxis. This programme, available free of cost in public hospitals, is a major game-changer,” he said.

If the program is successful, it will be expanded to regional and remote areas. Although deaths from peanut allergies are rare, about 20% of Australians have an allergic reaction.

It is estimated that this number will increase by 70% by 2050, affecting 7.7 million people.

This program is a step towards treating food allergies and improving the quality of life of affected children and their families.