S5 - E2.4 - MASLD Patient Advocates' Priority 2024 MASH Programs

Send us Fan MailLeading MASLD patient advocates Jeff McIntyre (Global Liver Institute), Milan Mishkovikj (European Liver Patients Association), Tony Villiotti (NASH kNOWledge) and Wayne Eskridge (Fatty Liver Foundation) describe their respective organizations' priority 2024 MASH programs to co-hosts Louise Campbell and Roger Green. In this conversation, the advocates each describe their respective organizations' top project for 2024. Wayne Eskridge goes first, describing the Fatty Liver Foundation's annual "flagship" study, The State of NAFLD and NASH Care in America. This study, which has been going on for "a few years," surveys patients' experiences around diagnosis and treatment of their SLDs. This year, which increased focus on non-invasive testing and the anticipated availability of a MASH drug, should yield particularly interesting results. Tony Villiotti talks about the extensive "liver awareness" education work NASH kNOWledge is conducting with over 250 schools and community centers in the Pittsburgh area. As part of NASH kNOWledge's ongoing effort to communicate to children on their own level, Tony anticipates his 10-year-old grandson accompanying the team this year, dressed in a "Livvy the Liver" costume. Milan Mishkovikj discusses a program where ELPA leadership conducts liver screenings at the European Parliament in Brussels, which provides opportunities not only to teach legislators and executives about their liver disease but also to learn their own liver health status. Jeff McIntyre discusses GLI's Advanced Advocacy Academy, or A3, a program to create and educate liver health advocates across the globe. To use Jeff's phrase, the program is starting to "grow roots" and become a self-sustaining year-round activity. Louise Campbell notes that the common theme in all four programs is that they are patient-focused, and most are children-focused. Roger's final question is to ask what will constitute success for each organization over the next 12 months. The answers vary in specifics but carry the basic themes of education, access and drug approval common to the rest of the conversation.