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WORLD GASTROENTEROLOGY NEWS FEBRUARY 2019
Editorial | Gastro 2018 | WDHD News | WGO & WGOF News | WGO Global Guidelines | Calendar of Events
WDHD 2018 in Portugal: Gastroenterologists put
Hepatitis C on the Agenda of Politicians
Guilherme Macedo
Treasurer, World Gastroenterology Organisation
Porto, Portugal
On 14 June 2018 the Sociedade
Portuguesa de Gastrenterologia held
a conference “Elimination of Hepatitis
C in Portugal: Challenges for the
Present and the Future” at Assembly
of the Republic (which functions
as the parliament of Portugal). The
objective of the event was to inform
the political class about this disease
that affects around 70,000 people in
the country.
This World Digestive Health Day
conference was planned by Prof. Guilherme
Macedo and its participants
included medical experts, politicians,
community organizers and activists.
Click here to see an interview with
Prof. Macedo as well as highlights
from the meeting: https://youtu.be/
cyfCaBgfVg0.
The location of the Assembly was
not chosen by chance. In an interview
with News Farma, Prof. Macedo
said they wanted to formally “put the
subject on the agenda of politicians.”
He pointed out that “as long as it is
a marginal issue of concern to the
political class, we will never get to the
final stage to achieve the elimination
of Hepatitis C.“ Now expectations
are higher because “… although the
parties would have different options,
there is a common motivation to
combat this problem.”
WDHD participants
Dr. Isabel Aldir of the Directorate General for
Health
Prof. Guilherme Macedo addresses the event.
Panel discussion
Additionally the conference held
a discussion panel with experts Drs.
João Marques Gomes (New School of
Business and Economics), Rui Tato
Marinho (Hospital Center Lisboa
Norte), Gonçalo Lobo (Abraço) and
Isabel Aldir (Directorate General
for Health). That was followed with
a roundtable with parliamentarian
groups, represented by all the parties
in the Assembly. Professor Maria do
Céu Machado, president of Infarmed,
presented the closing session.
Reprinted with permission of News
Farma. Text and photos from “Gastrenterologistas
Colocam a Hepatite C Na
Agenda Dos Políticos.” News Farma, 15
June 2018, 16:18:34, www.newsfarma.
pt/noticias/6745-gastrenterologistascolocam
a-hepatite-c-na-agenda-dospol%
C3%ADticos.html.