The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) is an international federation of over 100 national GI societies and 4 regional associations of gastroenterology representing over 50,000 individual members. WGO is focused on "the improvement of standards in gastroenterology training and education on a global scale."
The association was founded in 1935 and incorporated in 1958. The WGO was originally known as the Organisation Mondiale de Gastroenterologie (OMGE) and was renamed the World Gastroenterology Organisation in 2006. Its activities include educational initiatives such as Training Centers, Train the Trainers Workshops, public awareness campaigns such as

World Digestive Health Day The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) is an international federation of over 100 national GI societies and 4 regional associations of gastroenterology representing over 50,000 individual members. WGO is focused on "the improvement of stan ...

and Global Guidelines which cascade, providing viable solutions which are adaptable to varying resource levels around the world, as well as a quadrennial World Congress of Gastroenterology. The WGO Foundation was incorporated in 2007 and is dedicated to raising funds to support the ongoing WGO education initiatives and activities.

History

Georges Brohée (1887–1957), a Belgian surgeon who promoted modern gastroenterology, is largely responsible for the origin of the WGO, in particular by founding the Belgian Society of Gastroenterology in 1928 and by organizing the first International Congress of Gastroenterology in Brussels in 1935. In May 1958 the first World Congress of Gastroenterology was held in Washington DC, where Georges Brohée’s continuing efforts culminated in the constitution of the "Organisation Mondiale de Gastro-entérologie" (OMGE) on May 29, 1958. Dr H.L. Bockus was the organisation’s first President. His vision was to enhance standards of education and training in gastroenterology. Developed nations were the initial focus of the organization, however today the WGO embraces a global approach with a special emphasis on

developing regions A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreeme ...

Structure

General management of the WGO is conducted by a Governing Council. Acting through the Governing Council, the organisation is empowered to undertake those activities necessary to fulfill the goals and mission of the WGO. The Executive Committee oversees various program and consists of the President, Vice President, Past President, Secretary General, and Treasurer. A General Assembly reviews and approves the work of the Governing Council and attends to other business (including the World Congress venue). The General Assembly is composed of representatives from all WGO Member Societies and regional associations. Each WGO Member Society has one vote in the General Assembly. WGO has a number of committees including: *Finance Committee *WGO Guidelines and Publications Committee *Nominations Committee *Education & Training Committee *Editorial Board The elections and renewal of the WGO officers and committees takes place on the occasion of the General Assembly, which is held during the quadrennial World Congress of Gastroenterology.

Activities

Educational initiatives

Training centers

There are currently 20 WGO Training Centers: *

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* San José,

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Global Guidelines and Cascades

Each guideline is translated into six languages including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Mandarin Chinese. Guidelines with cascades: * Acute diarrhea * Colorectal cancer screening *

Constipation Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel moveme ...

Endoscope An endoscope is an inspection instrument composed of image sensor, optical lens, light source and mechanical device, which is used to look deep into the body by way of openings such as the mouth or anus. A typical endoscope applies several modern t ...

Disinfection *

Esophageal varices Esophageal varices are extremely dilated sub-mucosal veins in the lower third of the esophagus. They are most often a consequence of portal hypertension, commonly due to cirrhosis. People with esophageal varices have a strong tendency to develop s ...

*''

Helicobacter pylori ''Helicobacter pylori'', previously known as ''Campylobacter pylori'', is a gram-negative, microaerophilic, spiral (helical) bacterium usually found in the stomach. Its helical shape (from which the genus name, helicobacter, derives) is thoug ...

'' in

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the '' Hepatitis B virus'' (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infection. Many people have no symptoms during an initial infection. ...

Hepatocellular carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer in adults and is currently the most common cause of death in people with cirrhosis. HCC is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It occurs in t ...

: a global perspective *

Inflammatory bowel disease Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis being the principal types. Crohn's disease affects the small intestine and large intestine, as well ...

: a global perspective *

Irritable bowel syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a "disorder of gut-brain interaction" characterized by a group of symptoms that commonly include abdominal pain and or abdominal bloating and changes in the consistency of bowel movements. These symptoms may ...

: a global perspective *

Obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's ...

Radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...

protection in the endoscopy suite Guidelines with cascades in development: *Asymptomatic Gallstone Disease *

Celiac Disease Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine, where individuals develop intolerance to gluten, present in foods such as wheat, rye and barle ...

*Diverticular Disease:

Diverticulosis Diverticulosis is the condition of having multiple pouches ( diverticula) in the colon that are not inflamed. These are outpockets of the colonic mucosa and submucosa through weaknesses of muscle layers in the colon wall. Diverticula do not ...

Dysphagia Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, in some contexts it is classified as a condition in its own right. It may be a sensation that suggests difficulty in the passage of solids or liq ...

*Management of acute

viral hepatitis Viral hepatitis is liver inflammation due to a viral infection. It may present in acute form as a recent infection with relatively rapid onset, or in chronic form. The most common causes of viral hepatitis are the five unrelated hepatotropic vi ...

*Management of Ascites Complicating

Cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue rep ...

in Adults *Management of

Strongyloidiasis Strongyloidiasis is a human parasitic disease caused by the nematode called '' Strongyloides stercoralis'', or sometimes the closely related ''S. fülleborni''. These helminths belong to a group of nematodes called roundworms. These intestinal wo ...

Probiotics Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut microbiota. Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria- host i ...

and

Prebiotics Prebiotics are compounds in food that induce the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The most common example is in the gastrointestinal tract, where prebiotics can alter the composition of organisms in the ...

Public awareness campaigns

World Digestive Health Day/Year

The WGO celebrates World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) every May 29, initiating a worldwide public health campaign through its national societies and 50,000 individual members. Each year, WDHD focuses upon a particular digestive disorder and seeks to increase general public awareness of prevention and therapy. WDHD themes have included: *2005: Health and

Nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...

*2006:

infection *2007:

Viral Hepatitis Viral hepatitis is liver inflammation due to a viral infection. It may present in acute form as a recent infection with relatively rapid onset, or in chronic form. The most common causes of viral hepatitis are the five unrelated hepatotropic vi ...

*2008: Optimal

in Health and Disease *2009:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a "disorder of gut-brain interaction" characterized by a group of symptoms that commonly include abdominal pain and or abdominal bloating and changes in the consistency of bowel movements. These symptoms may ...

(IBS) *2010: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) *2011: Enteric Infections: Prevention and Management – Clean Food, Clean Water, Clean Environmen
WDHD 2011
*2012: From Heartburn to Constipation – Common GI Symptoms in the Community: Impact and Interpretatio

*2013: LIVER CANCER: Act Today. Save Your Life Tomorrow. Awareness. Prevention. Detection. Treatmen

*2014: Gut Microbes – Importance in Health and Diseas

*2015: Heartburn: a Global Perspectiv
WDHD 2015
*2016: Diet and gut Healt
WDHD 2016

Advertising campaigns

In 2008, the WGO, together with Danone, launched a global campaign to improve digestive health, titled "''Optimum Health and Nutrition''." The campaign is part of a three-year partnership between WGO and Danone to "''help raise awareness of digestive disorders and the importance of maintaining good digestive health''."

WGO Foundation

The WGO Foundation was established in 2007 to raise financial support to develop and sustain the World

Gastroenterology Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract ...

Organisation's global training and education programs. These programs focus primarily on developing, low-resource countries and aim to meet the increasing demand for digestive disorder prevention and treatment worldwide.

Mission

''To raise financial support to develop and sustain WGO's global training and education programs, especially in developing and low-resource countries.''

Activities

The WGO Foundation has fund raising activities including Initiating fund raising campaigns: *Global Mentor Fund *World Digestive Health Day/Year *Working in partnership programs with industry, philanthropic organizations etc... *Appealing to health care, wellness and other business organizations for donations/pledges *Applying for grants from international philanthropic organizations and public bodies *Appealing to eminent physicians to support Mentor Scholar Awards for trainees from developing low-resource countries *Appealing to our WGO membership of 50,000 *Appealing to the general public

References

External links

*
WGO FoundationNHL – National Library of GuidelinesIntute: Health and Life Sciences - Information about the WGO
* ttps://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11894-008-0001-3 Springer Web Alert about the WGO {{authority control Gastroenterology organizations International medical and health organizations