Outreach, Ad hoc Committee | World Endoscopy Organization

The committee is chaired by

Kulwinder Dua (USA)

With regional co-chairs:

Africa

Lars Aabakken (Norway)

Middle East

Klaus Mergener (USA)

South America

Eduardo Hourneaux de Moura (Brazil)

Southeast Asia

Nonthalee Pausawasdi (Thailand)

Mission statement:

The mission of the WEO Outreach Committee is to promote collaboration between our affiliated GI and Endoscopy organizations in order to improve the quality and access to healthcare for patients in underserved regions.

Activities:

Activities of the Outreach Committee include, however are not limited to the following:
– Identify, establish, and collaborate with WEO Outreach centers
– Promote, utilize, and further develop innovative telemedicine platforms and digital health technologies for education, research, and patient care
– Investigate opportunities for collaboration in the field of telegastroenterology and remote diagnostic services

The Outreach Committee was established in 2009 to specifically address the needs in underdeveloped regions. The committee is comprised of approximately 30 members with multifaceted background. The committee understands the specific needs in developing and/or low resource areas and strives to address, overcome and possibly benefit from the particular circumstances.

Outreach Program

Expanding endoscopic services to populations in need worldwide

Conceived in 2003, the program strives to introduce and supplement endoscopic equipment and provide endoscopic training and education in underserved areas of the world.

Following two successful hands-on training courses in 2018 and 2019 on basic endoscopy procedures organized by the World Endoscopy Organization (WEO) and the European Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), the GI Unit of St Paul’s Hospital and Millennium Medical School (SPHMMS) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was acknowledged as the first official WEO/ESGE Training Center in Africa.

As of 2023, WEO have established four additional training centers in Nairobi, Kenya; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Kigali, Rwanda; Windhoek, Namibia. Further WEO training centers are planned.