WGO Foundation

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

Objectives
The WGO Foundation's objective is to raise financial and in-kind resources to enable to WGO to realise it’s goals and objectives.

The WGO has the following objectives:
:*To promote public awareness of digestive disorders world-wide
:*To provide the highest standards in education and training in gastroenterology throughout the world and objectively assess the outcomes thereof
:*To create an educational network readily accessible and relevant to gastroenterologists in emerging societies to support their local professional development
:*To promote multi-disciplinary approaches to primary prevention, screening, early detection and optimal care of digestive cancers
:*To promote an ethical approach to all aspects of the practice of gastroenterology
:*To promote the formation of national gastroenterological organizations
:*To support and collaborate closely with all organizations interested in digestive disorders, including nursing, other healthcare workers and patient advocacy groups
:*To solicit financial support for the purpose of undertaking WGO’s global and emerging society programs and activities
:*To regularly communicate WGO’s strategic plan, activities and outcomes to its constituents

Structure
The WGO Foundation is extremely fortunate to have secured the services of leaders from industry, politics and the medical community representing every corner of the world for its Board of Directors.

The Directors are elected for a 3 year term.

Activities
The WGO Foundation has fundraising activities including
Initiating fundraising campaigns:
:*50th Anniversary Fund for the Future
:*Global Mentor Fund
:*Working in partnership programs with industry, philanthropic organizations etc...
:*Appealing to healthcare, 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

The WGO Foundation raises money to support the WGO’s Training & Education and public awareness activities. These include:

Educational Initiatives
Training Centers
WGO promotes the highest standards in training for, and the practice of, gastroenterology. The focus of WGO Training Centers has been on the developing world; in particular in areas where access to high-quality training remains problematic.

There are currently 13 WGO Training Centers:
:*Bangkok, Thailand
:*Bogota, Colombia
:*Cairo, Egypt
:*Karachi, Pakistan
:*La Paz, Bolivia
:*La Plata, Argentina
:*Mexico City, Mexico
:*Rabat, Morocco
:*Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
:*Rome, Italy
:*Santiago, Chile
:*Soweto, South Africa
:*Suva, Fiji

Train The Trainers
In partnership with the WGO National Member Societies, the WGO organises Train the Trainer workshops. The program brings together trainers from across the globe in intensive, interactive 4 day sessions dedicated to the development of teaching and training skills. In this way the WGO has developed a forum for interaction between world leaders in education for the sharing of experience and the discussion of common problems.

Cancer Education
The International Digestive Cancer Alliance (IDCA) is an official Division of WGO. Its stated global mission is to “promote awareness, screening, early detection, primary prevention and treatment of digestive cancers to governments, the general public and to medical practitioners through educational activities, including WGO’s Training Centers and Train the Trainers programs".

Global Guidelines
The WGO has developed a Guidelines Library which contains practice guidelines that are written specifically for global applicability. WGO Guidelines are as evidence based as possible and are put through a rigorous process of authoring, editing and peer review. Each guideline includes references to other relevant guidelines. The WGO Practice Guidelines and Publications Committee maintains repsonsiblity and editorial control of the guidelines and are constantly developing new guidelines for the library. The WGO offers free access to its Guidelines Library on the WGO website and translations of the guidelines are offered in a number of different languages.

Current WGO Guidelines include:
:*Acute diarrhea
:*Asymptomatic Gallstone Disease
:*Celiac Disease
:*Colorectal cancer screening
:*Constipation
:*Diverticular Disease
:*Dysphagia
:*Endoscope Disinfection
:*Esophageal Varices
:*Helicobacter Pylori in developing countries
:*Hepatitis B
:*Malabsorption
:*Management of acute viral Hepatitis
:*Management of Ascites Complicating Cirrhosis in Adults
:*Management of Strongyloidiasis
:*Needle Stick Injury and Accidental Exposure to Blood
:*Osteoporosis
:*Probiotics and Prebiotics
:*Strategies for Reducing the Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance

Public Awareness Campaigns

Ad 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.”

World Digestive Health Day / Year
The WGO celebrates World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) every May 29th, 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
:*2006: Helicobacter pylori infection
:*2007: Viral Hepatitis
:*2008: Optimal Nutrition in Health and Disease
:*2009: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
:*2010: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)


 
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