Bridging the Gap – second edition

The European Liver Patients’ Association (ELPA) actively contributed to the second edition of “Bridging the Gap”, a two-day collaborative event held on December 1 and 2, 2025, bringing together patient representatives and clinicians from across Europe to address the growing burden of interconnected chronic diseases.

The meeting focused on the strong links between obesity, liver disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease, highlighting the urgent need for integrated prevention, screening, and care models. Patient organisations from across these disease areas were represented, including ELPA, the Global Heart Hub (GHH), the European Coalition for People living with Obesity (ECPO),  the International Diabetes Federation Europe (IDFE) an the  European Kidney Patients Federation (EKPF) — ensuring that lived experience remained central to the discussions. ELPA’s representatives were from the Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD) Working Group, reinforcing the association’s commitment to addressing metabolic-related liver conditions such as MASLD and MASH. These liver diseases are closely connected to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risk, and chronic kidney disease, yet are often overlooked in broader non-communicable disease (NCD) strategies. In sessions, participants explored how cross-disease collaboration can help break down silos between specialties and patient communities. Throughout the event, patient representatives shared first-hand experiences of navigating fragmented healthcare systems, delayed diagnoses, and the stigma associated with chronic metabolic conditions. These testimonies underscored the need for improved health literacy, earlier screening, and multidisciplinary care pathways that reflect the reality of people living with multiple conditions. ELPA highlighted liver health being fully integrated into EU-level NCD policies and prevention frameworks. By participating through its SLD Working Group, ELPA reinforced the message that liver patients should not be left behind in discussions on obesity, diabetes, heart health, and kidney health. The second edition of Bridging the Gap confirmed the growing momentum for patient-led, cross-disease collaboration in Europe. By uniting voices across liver, cardiovascular, kidney, diabetes and obesity communities, the event marked an important step toward more holistic, patient-centred approaches to chronic disease prevention and care.