Chairing the World IBD Day meeting in Sydney: ECCO and DDW 2026 highlights

The limbic LIVE inflammatory bowel disease meeting was held in Sydney on 19 May 2026, World IBD Day. A/Prof Kariyawasam chaired the evening, which brought together adult and paediatric gastroenterologists, dietitians, IBD clinical nurse consultants and trainees to hear the highlights of the 2026 congress of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) and of Digestive Disease Week (DDW), presented with Australian practice in mind.

The speakers

• Dr Bonita Gu, on predicting and preventing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and on combining biologic therapies.
• Dr Simone Chin, on diet, the microbiome, paediatric disease and pregnancy.
• Dr Aviv Pudipeddi, on advanced therapies.
• Dr Simon Ghaly, on treating to target, surgery and complications.

Much of the discussion from the floor turned on the practical questions that follow a congress: which findings change what happens in clinic on Monday, which need local data before they do, and where Australian access to therapies differs from the settings the studies were run in. That last point is a recurring theme in A/Prof Kariyawasam's work on access to medicines.

The meeting was organised by the limbic, with support from MSD Australia and New Zealand and Celltrion Healthcare Australia.

Read the post about the meeting on LinkedIn