Gut health across Europe is an emerging trend and keeps expanding from traditional to innovative solutions. As over 332 million people are estimated to be suffering from digestive conditions like chronic liver diseases, pancreatitis and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) within the European Region, as per United European Gastroenterology (UEG)—this burden requires the organisations and solution providers to adopt preventive strategies altogether.
United European Gastroenterology (UEG) is a leading non-profit organisation for excellence in digestive health in Europe and beyond, with its headquarters in Vienna. As Europe’s home and umbrella for multidisciplinary gastroenterology, the organisation unites over 50,000 engaged professionals from national and specialist societies to individual digestive health experts and related scientists—to take concerted efforts to—advance the field of digestive diseases by focusing on prevention, research, diagnoses, cures, and increasing awareness. The following are the activities at UEG to meet the objective:
- UEG Education: Delivering and disseminating cutting-edge, unbiased continuing medical education and supporting professional development.
- UEG Research: Encouraging innovation and excellence in research by supporting research facilitation and cooperation in the field of digestive health.
- UEG Journal: Positioning UEG Journal as a top authoritative, esteemed journal of choice within digestive health.
- UEG Quality of Care: Improving and harmonising GI patient care practices and outcomes throughout Europe.
- UEG Public Affairs: Acting as the united voice of European gastroenterology for the public and in various national and European institutions to promote digestive health.
With the leadership of Helena Cortez-Pinto, the President, UEG aims to reduce health inequalities across Europe, achieve optimal patient care, and be recognised as the leading authority for digestive health.
Let’s dive in to learn about UEG’s strategy for reducing the burden of digestive diseases and improving digestive health.
A Brief About UEG
UEG is a federation where the different GI specialities come together, as well as the National Associations, thus creating an enormous capacity for interaction and collaborative work. The organisation has been able to create a strong community “myUEG Community”) and within it, offer many completely free benefits, including its exclusive and secure networking feature for international digestive health professionals, “My Connect.”
It is thrilling to know that these developments have further increased the ease with which those within the UEG community can communicate with each other. In addition, the organisation is in the process of creating a structure that will facilitate researchers in the GI field to apply for European grants, such as Research Europe. UEG also has a great interest in continually educating and updating its GI associates. Lastly, it has also created mechanisms of rewarding and acknowledging its top associates with recognitions such as the Rising Star Award, Travel Grants, and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Inspiration Behind
Helena’s inspiration originally comes from the fact that she has always found gastroenterology to be one of the most interesting specialities.“This is for several reasons, including it encompassing such a large variety of topics and activities. It includes the practical and particularly challenging area of endoscopy, where treatments have become increasingly possible, although still very demanding. On the other end of the spectrum, are also areas of complex mechanisms and treatments, which in their own right are quite interesting” she adds.
Core Values and Mission
UEG’s core values include integrity, quality, diversity, independence, respect, accountability, transparency, and sustainability as an inclusive concept for all strategic drivers.
Its mission is to act as the united and trusted voice of European gastroenterology and to be recognised as the leading authority for digestive health. UEG promotes science, research, education and quality of care and advocates to prevent and reduce health inequalities across Europe to achieve optimal patient care.
Resolving GI Care Needs
UEG strongly strives towards and contributes to the reduction in differences of care towards the patient population across different European countries and centres. It manages to achieve this through its abundance of educational activities, travel grants, guidelines, public affairs initiatives and much more.
Current Endeavours to Improve Patient Care
One extremely important endeavour which UEG has embarked upon is the development of GI guidelines to help the daily practice of its international GI doctors. The organisation approaches this in many methods including via its free GI Guidelines App, the ongoing“From guidelines to clinical practic” webinar series, the vast standards and guidelines and more.
Words of Wisdom
To the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts who desire to venture into surgical and non-surgical treatment for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, Helena advises,“choose early in your career what your main areas of interest are and then remain extremely focused. Also important is to both work and learn abroad at a great centre to see how they work and therefore enhance your comprehension”
Looking Ahead
As the year 2023 begins, UEG has its eye set on the following:
- Developing the areas of support to research, and internationalisation.
- Developing public affair lobbying.
- For example, regarding alcohol-related disease and the related policies.
Learn more at www.ueg.eu
