NZSG is now an ECCO member

A small group of New Zealand gastroenterologists attended the 19th Congress of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation in Stockholm, Sweden together with over 7000 others from around the word. Although it was freezing cold outside, the hot topics at this years congress were amongst others, the sequencing and even combining of biologics, personalisation of treatment and current trends in epidemiology. 

Recently, the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology joined forces with ECCO as an affiliated society. This comes with a list of benefits and as the ECCO leadership currently discusses a more international approach, we should be very well placed.

 Amongst the more pertinent benefits, NZSG/ECCO members are now eligible to stand for committees, nominate trainees for the prestigious IBD Intensive Course of Trainees as well as research cooperation via UR-CARE and participate in Talking Global IBD initiative at the ECCO Congress which is attached to the General Assembly. Although we are still not eligible for the highly sought-after scholarships and funds, this might change in the future. 

I hope there will be more of us next year in Berlin, Germany, Feb 19-21, 2025.

Dr Michael Schultz 
Clinical Director, Dunedin Hospital