WhiteBook2_Part1 - 5

Introduction
INTRODUCTION
This report explores the public health burden of digestive system diseases and malignancies
across countries located within Europe and the Mediterranean area. The digestive diseases
described within this report include major diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver,
pancreas, and biliary system. Together, these digestive diseases are common, and account
for considerable morbidity and mortality. Malignant neoplasms of digestive organs, including
oesophageal, stomach, colorectal, liver, gallbladder, and pancreatic cancers, exert a
substantial burden and are responsible for around a third of the total number of cancer
related deaths within the European region.1 This burden is not shared equally across
societies, with many digestive diseases and cancers disproportionately affecting more
socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.
Despite their substantial burden, many digestive diseases are considered to be poorly
understood, attracting relatively little attention in terms of policy, funding or research.2
United European Gastroenterology (UEG) commissioned the first White Book, published in
2014, which revealed important insights regarding the public health and economic burden of
digestive disorders and health services across 32 European countries.3 4 The authors found
that due to the lack of routinely collected data on the burden of digestive diseases across
Europe, most of the available evidence on the burden is based on highly heterogenous
individual studies, making comparisons between countries and across time difficult.3 The
authors found a major lack of evidence on the burden of digestive diseases from Eastern
Europe and on the burden of most liver diseases.3 Additionally, very little or no information
was available about the economic impact of digestive disorders from countries other than
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom
(UK).4 The authors also found that there had been a reduction over time in the volume of
research studies reporting on the burden of many digestive diseases in Europe.3
In order to evaluate the current status, increase political and public awareness of digestive
disorders and encourage digestive health research, UEG commissioned the White Book 2.
The White Book 2 consists of two parts. Part 1 (this report) provides an up-to-date
assessment and international comparative analysis of the public health burden of digestive
disorders amongst UEG national society member countries. It builds upon a number of the
research recommendations put forward within the previous White Book, making use of
comparable data that have been collected in a standardised way to enhance cross-country
comparisons and enable more informed synthesis.3 These data are also used to generate
estimates of economic costs associated with digestive diseases across Europe to investigate
the economic value of reducing the burden of digestive diseases. Furthermore, the report
White Book 2: Part 1
1
WhiteBook2_Part1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of WhiteBook2_Part1
