EASL Digital ILC meeting 2020

Let’s congratulate all together to EASL for their very first EASL Digital ILC meeting held on 27^th-29^th August 2020, as we very much appreciate the great effort made in these times of crisis. We are positive that we speak for all liver patients when we say that we were surprised and grateful for EASL have set such an amazing, a full of interesting content meeting in such a short time. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic EASL realized, as usual, a great congress, gathering thousands of people, from medical experts to scientist and patients and giving us a lot of food for our thoughts. That proves once again, that to be at the side of EASL – the biggest home of hepatology, is the right place to be in order to have access to the best in terms of science, policy and supportive community.

ELPA’s fruitful collaboration with EASL and the support EASL provides to ELPA go back to many years ago and they have never stopped. A perfect example of this is ELPA’s recent approval of joining the new EASL Patient Groups Community. ELPA is honoured for this nomination, as this confirms not only ELPA’s strong partnership with EASL and confirms the value EASL recognizes as ELPA’s role, but it is also a fresh start that will allow ELPA to build new synergies, create new opportunities and share best practices with others patient groups and EU leading hepatology associations.

This year, ELPA celebrates 15th anniversary and it was indeed EASL ILC where our organisation was born 15 years ago, during EASL ILC in Paris on 14th April 2005. That is why EASL ILC is so special for our association and ELPA members as it represents not only date where all ELPA members gather together during annual general meeting, it represents the very beginning and core of our mission. ELPA being present at this meeting has always been such an important achievement that all its Annual General Meetings have been organized during the congress’ days as an enormous opportunity of networking with the biggest name in the field of hepatology.

However, in this new EASL Digital ILC meeting version, as EASL is forging synergies between itself and umbrella patient organisations to fight liver disease together, ELPA’s participation did not go unnoticed. ELPA was part of the patient synergies booth, but it also participated in the booths of three medical research projects in which ELPA also participate: EU Medical Research Project Microb-Predict, Decision, and LiverScreen.

Here you can find ELPA’s contribution.

EASL’s patient synergies: All about ELPA, the European Liver Patients’ Association:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtEvQDrdjKU&feature=youtu.be

Microb-Predict: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9E61jOoz1M&feature=youtu.be

Decision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrGOflujMdo

LiverScreen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCtaQPycarM

In addition, on 29^th August 2020, in the framework of the EASL Digital ILC meeting, Dr.Teresa Casanovas Taltavull, ELPA Scientific Committee leader and ELPA President, Marko Korenjak participated at the meeting organised by DILI Network. ELPA President focused more on the relevance of a patient perspective in DILI. He stressed the fact that it is extremely important to inform that the use of so-called “natural products” is not without risks and the role of liver patients´ associations is critical in this area since nobody would be better than another patients to inform his peers. In addition, he pointed out the importance of social media to expand medical information. Dr.Teresa Casanovas Taltavull, instead, presented a case report of probable autoimmune hepatitis caused by dietary and herbal supplements (DHS). She underlined that one effective way to draw attention to the problem of DILI is by telling a patient’s individual story because knowledge can help prevent harm.

During EASL ILC, ELPA was working hard in dissemination of EASL ILC event and we are very happy for all the positive feedback we received, your likes, comments, posts and support. That shows that our community is strong than ever, and despite current crisis, we all stand together fighting for better and healthier future.’