THE 56th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) was held in person and online in the captivating and fashionable city of Milan, Italy. As the largest gathering of the international paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition community in Europe, ESPGHAN hosted over 5,600 people from 104 countries from 15th–18th May 2024. Milan served as an ideal location for ESPGHAN 2024 due to the abundance of paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology research at Milan University and surrounding Lombardia.
ESPGHAN is a multi-professional organisation that aims to promote children’s health, focusing on the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and nutritional status. The society has hosted over 14 educational events and 21 webinars, with 15 societal papers published, and numerous committee meetings. The 2024 Annual Meeting was the largest ever, hosting over 1,000 more delegates than in 2023. The congress was a global event, with attendance increasing across every region compared to 2023, with only just over half of the delegates coming from Europe, and the rest from beyond. A record 1,547 standard abstracts were accepted for presentation, including 236 late-breaking abstracts, increasing by 117 from 2023. The most significant increases in abstract submissions were seen in the inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac diseases, and general hepatology topics. The role of ultrasound in irritable bowel disease was identified as a hot topic for ESPGHAN 2024.
Local ESPGHAN congress president, Carlo Agostoni, University of Milan, Italy, commenced the inaugural address as follows: “Over the course of the next 3 days, we will embark on a journey of learning, collaboration, and innovation that will shape the future of our field.” Agostoni paid homage to Milan in the local Milanese dialect, ‘Meneghino’, stating that the city is not only great for the space it occupies but also for the large space it occupies in the hearts of the residents.
Following Agostoni’s introduction, Gabrielle Rubin, director of the ESAGRAMMA Symphony Orchestra of Milan, introduced the mission and initiative of this organisation. For over 30 years, ESPAGRAMMA, composed of children and young adults with and without disabilities, has provided therapeutic music and offered artistic paths for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The orchestra began by playing the first movement of Beethoven’s pastoral symphony, ‘Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside’.
Ulrich Baumann, president of ESPGHAN, began his talk by congratulating the ESPAGRAMMA orchestra on their music and on how their mission embodied the world ESPGHAN was working to build: one of unity and teamwork. Baumann thanked all contributing members on behalf of the council and the local organising committee, and warmly welcomed all participants to the 56th ESPGHAN Annual Meeting.
The focus of this year’s Annual Meeting was to reach out, to cross borders, to perforate the bubble that researchers easily become entrenched in, and to connect with each other. Within this theme, the congress discussed a novel piece of technology: AI. The utilisation of AI aligns with the theme of forming new connections. Baumann emphasised that AI will not go away, and clinical research must make a connection with it. ESPGHAN formed a task force on AI, aiming to assess its impact and potential benefit in clinical and research settings. The 2024 congress was the first time ESPGHAN dedicated a session to AI led by Hani Szajewska, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. The session explored the ongoing shift from traditional evidence-based medicine to next-generation evidence-based medicine, incorporating AI. Szajewska stated how healthcare professionals need to find access to this new challenge for daily practice.
ESPGHAN also incorporated a 5 km scenic ‘Run with the Council’ in Parco Tre Torri to raise funds for the ‘ForestaMi’ initiative, aiming to plant more trees in Milan. Furthermore, as part of ESPGHAN’s carbon emission offsetting programme, the congress cut back on the waste they produce annually, with no programme book or congress bag supplied.
EMJ was delighted to be part of ESPGHAN 2024 and looks forward to next year’s event in Helsinki, Finland, between the 14th– 17th May 2025. This congress coverage includes summaries of the most exciting and breaking news, press releases, and abstracts presented at ESPGHAN 2024. Keep reading for more insights from this year’s Annual Meeting.
