Task Forces

The activities of the Task Force are summarized as follow:

1. We held the inaugural virtual meeting of the Task Force on 23rd April 2024 to lay out our workplan.
2. We are currently working on the APAGE Position Statement on Green and Sustainability in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. The first draft version is expected to be ready in early August, and this will be circulated for on-line review and voting in late August/ early September 2024. The intent is to submit the paper for consideration for publication by Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the fourth quarter of 2024.
3. We reached out to the Local Organizing Committees of APDW 2024 in Bali and APDW 2025 in Singapore to advocate for a symposium on sustainability. Although the Task Force was not involved by the Local Organizing Committee of APDW 2024 in the planning of the details, we are happy to share that such a symposium will nonetheless take place in APDW 2024, and I have been invited to co-chair this session. The Local Organizing Committee of APDW 2025 will work with us to plan a clinical symposium on sustainability in APDW 2025 in Singapore.
4. Once we have completed our Position Statement, the Task Force will meet up to discuss the feasibility and relevance of a stand-alone virtual educational forum in 2025 to promote sustainability practices and research. We had previously considered establishing a separate research fund to promote sustainability research but have decided to defer this, in view of the availability of the general APAGE research grant, and the need for clinical researchers to develop unique technical skillsets and collaboration with environmental scientists to perform more impact research to study the carbon footprint from clinical practice and impact of change management.