BOLOGNA (ITALPRESS) – “Life out there is more beautiful. And it shows.” People who struggle daily with the challenges of a chronic, debilitating and stigmatizing disease such as ulcerative colitis (CU) often live in the shadow of symptoms and signs that negatively affect their daily lives. A disease that affects 5 million people worldwide and in Italy is expected to reach an incidence of more than 331 thousand cases in 2025. It occurs mainly in young adults, significantly affecting their social and working lives, and it is with the aim of helping them achieve greater awareness in the management of the disease that Alfasigma is promoting the Ulcerative Colitis – IO ESCO campaign.In collaboration with AMICI Italia, the National Association for Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and under the patronage of the scientific society IG-IBD, The Italian Group for the study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the campaign aims to offer patients concrete tools to improve disease management and quality of life, through a mix of digital channels, easily accessible from any electronic device, and in-person events, fostering an open and transparent dialogue with expert clinicians. While Ulcerative Colitis is an increasingly better understood and managed disease, much of the burden required to ensure an acceptable quality of life is borne by the willingness, commitment, and individual paths taken by patients, who must and can be trained to cope with the disease and its challenges to the best of their ability. For this, it is crucial to provide them with clear and practical information on crucial aspects of everyday life such as nutrition, sexual and relational spheres, and also on the social and psychopathological impact related to the pathology.Comments Massimo Fantini, Secretary General IG-BD “Today we often meet two types of patients: on the one hand, the person who no longer believes that he or she will be able to cure Ulcerative Colitis, and surrenders to a life with many limitations. On the other hand, there are those who begin to feel better thanks to treatment and therefore think they can stop therapy.” “In both cases,” Fantini concludes, “it is necessary to train patients in disease control, so that they are always on board with the pathway and help them maintain a good level of cooperation with the doctor. “The campaign is being developed through a series of tools and initiatives both online and in-person. The integral part of the initiative, consists of three free local events held at as many hospitals that also specialize in the treatment of Ulcerative Colitis, during which patients, along with family and friends, will have the opportunity to talk directly with expert clinicians and the patient association AMICI. A dedicated website https://www.coliteulcerosa-ioesco.it/ and an Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/ioesco1/ offer insights and useful advice. In addition, a campaign video https://www.coliteulcerosa-ioesco.it/ designed specifically for social media has been created with the goal of engaging the community and raising awareness on the topic at hand. To support this, a practical guide (downloadable) will also be distributed where patients will find information on symptoms, routes, rights, lifestyles, and where they can make notes of doubts, difficulties, and progress to share with their doctor. The goal is to help patients compile their own CU management action plan through knowledge and dialogue with their physician and multidisciplinary team.”Ulcerative colitis is a daily challenge, not only for the patient but also for the people who care for him/her, but with the right support and a network of informed and supportive people, patients can live their lives to the fullest, without giving up,” comments Salvo Leone, Director General AMICI, National Association for Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases – With the ‘IO ESCO’ campaign, we want to encourage every patient to step out of the shadow of the disease, take care of himself/herself with confidence and build a new normalcy, without invisible barriers. The collaboration with Alfasigma and the support of IG-IBD allows us to offer concrete tools, clear information and authentic support: because living with ulcerative colitis no longer means living limited. This is a call to courage and awareness, so that every patient can say with determination: ‘I’m getting out!'””Thanks to the collaboration with specialists and patient associations, we are committed to developing a dialogue with all stakeholders to contribute concretely to innovation in the management of the disease, a goal we are pursuing with this first Italian campaign, the only one of its kind – emphasizes Marco Castino, General Manager Alfasigma Italia -For over 75 years, in fact, Alfasigma has been passionately dedicated to improving the quality of life of patients. Our mission is driven by the desire to offer concrete answers to the unmet needs of patients, and our commitment to ulcerative colitis is a clear example of this. “The IO ESCO campaign includes three in-person events designed to provide patients with a comprehensive overview of Ulcerative Colitis management. During these meetings, participants will be able to talk with experts in Chronic Inflammatory Intestinal Diseases (CHD) from the involved Hospitals and hear testimonials, gather practical and useful information on a day-to-day basis to improve disease management. Each event will include interactive sessions and face-to-face time with speakers and will conclude with a time devoted to breathing techniques to improve stress management and relaxation.The events, with free and free admission, will be held at the following hospitals, which also specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and management of Ulcerative Colitis: Cisanello Hospital in Pisa, Saturday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; IRCCS “S. De Bellis” Castellana Grotte (Conference Center), Saturday, Nov. 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Spedali Civili di Brescia (Sala Montini), Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
– photo press office Alfasigma -(ITALPRESS).
