Britta Siegmund © ECCO

Dear ECCO Friends,

Summer is coming and Berlin is getting ready – not yet for the next ECCO Congress, but for the European Soccer Championship! Leading up to the summer break, everyone has been very active, which is reflected in this issue of ECCO News.

UR-CARE is now established in many centres across Europe and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Gerhard Rogler as the new chair of the UR-CARE Steering Committee! If you would like to learn more about the plans and activities around UR-CARE, enjoy the interview with Gerhard.

ECCO convenes a bi-annual National Representatives Meeting, providing a platform for IBD stakeholders including National representatives from IBD, nurse and patient organisations to discuss ECCO’s activities, highlight their positions and strategize in the context of Diversity, Equitable Access and Inclusion.

On the occasion of the UEG Week 2023 in Copenhagen, ECCO hosted the 3rd Council of National Representatives Meeting – bringing together the ECCO and N-ECCO National Representatives as well as the National Representatives of Patient Organisations and EFCCA.

To submit an abstract for the 20th Congress of ECCO, use our ECCO Portal. Please also view important information on the submission process and the guidelines for abstract submission.

The Educational Programme of the 20^th Congress of ECCO starts prior to the official start of the ECCO Congress and courses take place from February 19-21, 2025. These activities target ECCO’s different interest groups including young gastroenterologists, surgeons, paediatricians, pathologists, IBD Nurses, dietitians, allied health professionals and scientists.

N-ECCO School © ECCO

At the 20th Congress of ECCO in Stockholm, the Nurses of ECCO (N-ECCO) will host the educational activity for IBD Nurses, N-ECCO School, for the 16^th time. ECCO intends to give nurses, who might be still in training and have an interest in IBD, the possibility to attend an IBD-focused course. The ultimate aim of this programme is to improve nurse education throughout Europe.

IBD Intensive Course for Trainees © ECCO

The 23^rd ECCO IBD Intensive Course for Trainees designed for residents, fellows in gastroenterology and junior faculty will take place in Berlin, Germany, on February 19, 2025, immediately prior to our next Congress. We are pleased to inform you that the preliminary programme for this course is already available.

Bella Ungar © ECCO

The first ECCO Global Grant was awarded at ECCO'24 to an international group leading a fascinating prospective study across Sub-Saharan Africa¹. The study is focusing on IBD genetics in the region and is being led by Professor Nick Croft and Dr. Phoebe Hodges from Queen Mary University of London, Professor Paul Kelly and colleagues from the Tropical Gastroenterology and Nutrition Group, University of Zambia and Professor McGovern and his group at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles. I had the privilege of discussing aspects of the study with members of the study consortium.

María Chaparro © ECCO

Murat Toruner © ECCO

Julien Kirchgesner © ECCO

During the last ECCO’24 Congress in Stockholm, the ECCO Governing Board announced the new strategy REACH. The REACH strategy is the acronym of five clear goals to shape the current and future ECCO activities for the next years, better defining and expanding ECCO global mission to improve the care for all IBD patients.

Change is the engine that propels scientific progress, and within this dynamic, committees evolve. As members transition, embracing fresh perspectives, the spirit of innovation flourishes, shaping the path ahead. Amidst this journey, EpiCom is pleased to introduce Paul Henderson while bidding farewell to Julien Kirchgesner.

Pascal Juillerat  © ECCO

Dear ECCO Members,

I am delighted to share some exciting updates regarding our e-Learning platform. As we embrace the vibrant seasons of spring and summer, I encourage you to take advantage of the latest content we have recently added to the e-Library, including the latest Abstracts and Presentations from the ECCO’24 Congress.