The Finnish National Allergy Program has shown promising results in reducing allergic diseases by exploring the relationship between early exposure to micro-organisms and immune system development. Finnish researchers noted significant differences in asthma rates between rural Russian children and urban Finnish children, hypothesizing that early exposure to diverse micro-organisms might help train the immune system to respond appropriately to allergens later in life. This study supports the idea that overly sterilized environments may contribute to increased allergy prevalence.