UEG calls for, among others:
- Foster means and measures for prevention is essential to decrease the burden of digestive diseases. Due to the projected rise in “unhealthy behaviour” and the ageing population, the health-related and economical impact of this burden will rise simultaneously.
- Prioritise research into underlying mechanisms and focus resources and training on novel, targeted prevention strategies of paediatric liver disease, emerging as one of the most worrisome complications of childhood obesity.
- Research on the causes of inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, chronic pancreatitis and functional gastrointestinal disorders, which are still not fully known.
- Focus on screening programmes to improve sustainable health care systems. Participation rates to colorectal screening programmes vary widely across Europe and further research into robust biomarkers should be prioritised.
- Further concerted research on the microbiome to open new strategies for prevention and treatment.
- Increase funding in the field of disruptive technologies in gastroenterology. There is still a need for improvement in endoscopic techniques and concerns over the precision and provision of endoscopic ultrasounds for pancreatic cancer detection.
