The 19^th Congress of ECCO, Stockholm, Sweden – Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2024, held on February 21-24, 2024, attracted a total number of 7,223 delegates from 99 different countries. Since the inaugural ECCO Congress in 2006 in Amsterdam, at which there were 350 delegates, participant numbers have steadily increased, as shown in the graph below. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak in the beginning of 2020, we are happy that this high number of delegates had the chance to participate in the ECCO’24 Congress in Stockholm.

Mariangela Allocca © ECCO

Uri Kopylov © ECCO

The Educational Programme at the ECCO Congress in 2024 will once again feature two workshops focused on imaging Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). These workshops, held in collaboration with the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR) and the International Bowel Ultrasound (IBUS) group, aim to educate medical professionals about the latest imaging technologies and their application in precise diagnosis and therapeutic management of IBD patients.

The first workshop will cover basic endoscopy, ultrasound and MRI, while the second will delve into advancements in intestinal ultrasound. These workshops are made possible through extensive cooperation between ECCO and experienced gastroenterologists and radiologists in intestinal imaging.

Natalia Queiroz © ECCO

The 22nd ECCO IBD Intensive Course for Trainees, Stockholm 2024

The IBD Intensive Course for Trainees will take place over one day on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, prior to the official start of the ECCO Congress. This ECCO Educational Initiative has a rich history, dating back to its conception in 2003, even before the launch of the ECCO Congress.

The fundamentals of IBD education begin during gastroenterology fellowship training. However, IBD medical education is often fragmented. The IBD Intensive Course for Trainees aims to provide advanced fellows in gastroenterology with a comprehensive understanding of IBD from a multidisciplinary perspective. In addition, the course presents a valuable opportunity for young clinicians to connect with colleagues from various countries around the globe, allowing them to explore different medical standards and establish a network for potential future collaborations. Participation in the programme is by invitation, with students nominated by ECCO National Representatives.

The Educational Programme of the 19^th Congress of ECCO starts prior to the official start of the ECCO Congress and courses take place from February 21-24, 2024. These activities target ECCO’s different interest groups including young gastroenterologists, surgeons, paediatricians, pathologists, IBD Nurses, dietitians, allied health professionals and scientists.

Pär Myrelid © ECCO

In many countries, cancer patients have had structural pathways for a number of years. Regardless of whether these are called two-week referrals, urgent referrals or cancer pathways, they have improved the care for many patients with a suspected malignancy. In a society with limited access to medical care, however, an improvement like this may come at a cost. Unfortunately, patients with chronic disease may be among those paying the price for the structural pathways within Oncology. This price comes in many different forms, but for our Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients it particularly involves prolonged waiting times for radiology, endoscopy and surgery. Thus the improvement achieved for patients with, for example, suspected colorectal cancer may at the same time represent an impairment for patients with an increased risk of developing the same type of cancer as intervals between endoscopic surveillance sessions tend to increase.

IBD Intensive Course for Trainees © ECCO

The 22^nd ECCO IBD Intensive Course for Trainees designed for residents, fellows in gastroenterology and junior faculty will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, on February 21, 2024, immediately prior to our next Congress. We are pleased to inform you that the preliminary programme for this course is already available.

N-ECCO School © ECCO

At the 19^th Congress of ECCO in Stockholm, the Nurses of ECCO (N-ECCO) will host the educational activity for IBD Nurses, N-ECCO School, for the 15^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.

The Educational Programme of the 19^th Congress of ECCO starts prior to the official start of the ECCO Congress and courses take place from February 21-24, 2024. These activities target ECCO’s different interest groups including young gastroenterologists, surgeons, paediatricians, pathologists, IBD Nurses, dietitians, allied health professionals and scientists.

To submit an abstract for the 19^th Congress of ECCO, use our ECCO Portal.

Please also view important information on the submission process and the guidelines for abstract submission.

Pär Myrelid © ECCO

The 18th ECCO Congress and 12^th S-ECCO IBD Masterclass provided many of us with the opportunity finally to meet in real life and delivered much new knowledge and numerous new insights. This year’s Masterclass was opened by Christianne Buskens, who in a very distinct manner showed us what kind of effect the pandemic and all virtual meetings have had on us by showing a picture from last year’s virtual meeting (we all looked terribly concerned and sad). This can be compared with a picture from this year’s meeting, where good old friends reunited to discuss IBD.