About UCARE

Our vision is further reduce the burden of allergic diseases globally by improving the health of citizens with allergic diseases; increasing the competitiveness and boosting the innovative capacity of health-related industries and businesses while addressing health issues including emerging allergies

Global Allergy and Asthma European Network e. V. was created in 2005 to combat fragmentation in the European research area, ensuring excellence in EU allergy and asthma research by bringing together institutions and researchers from across the EU. The network notably put in place centralized structures and a central office overseeing the multiple assets in knowledge in the different partners, enabling them to optimally synchronize their research efforts.

We are now recognized worldwide as a leading global network of collaborating academic centres in the field of allergy.

The Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network’s vision is further reduce the burden of allergic diseases in the world by improving the health of all humans with allergic diseases; increasing the competitiveness and boosting the innovative capacity of EU health-related industries and businesses while addressing health issues including emerging allergies.

To this end the Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network has launched a program for the development, interaction and accreditation of centers of reference and excellence in special areas of allergy. These centers are specialized in:

UCARE was the first Center of Reference and Excellence to be established, launching in 2016. Since then, it has grown into a global network dedicated to improving the care of patients with urticaria.

Urticaria is a common and often debilitating disease that can be challenging to diagnose and manage, particularly in its chronic forms. UCARE centers support patients and healthcare professionals by providing specialized expertise, promoting best practices, and advancing standards of care for difficult-to-treat cases.

The core mission of UCARE is to:

• Deliver excellence in urticaria diagnosis, treatment, and patient care.
• Advance knowledge through research and education.
• Raise awareness of urticaria through advocacy and outreach activities.
• To support these goals, UCARE has developed educational resources for both healthcare professionals and patients, including the physician education platform UCARE LevelUp and the patient education platform UCARE4U.

UCARE also fosters global collaboration and knowledge exchange through its scientific and educational events. These include the UCARE Conference and the Global Urticaria Forum (GUF), which are held in alternating years, as well as the annual Urticaria Day (UDAY) on October 1.

For more information about UCARE’s governance and organizational structure, please refer to our Charter.

Former UCARE Steering Committee Member

Prof. Dr. Marcus Maurer – Germany (*1966 – †2024)

Marcus Maurer was a founding member of the Global Asthma & Allergy Excellence Network and the UCARE network.

In his honour, the “Marcus Maurer Fellowship Program” was established. More information can be found here.