INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON: Helicobacter Pylori: Global Consensus Conference

INTRO SPEECH 

H.pylori infection is the most frequent chronic bacterial infection worldwide and localized within the stomach ,the specific target organ. 

The estimated prevalence of the H.pylori infection in the world population is 4.4 billion. 

All infected will develop chronic gastritis. 

Approximately 20 % of the infected individuals will develop symptoms and /or clinical complications during their lifetime. H.pylori induced dyspepsia and peptic ulcer disease are curable through eradication of the microorganism while the most severe complication ,gastric cancer requires complex oncological therapies. 

Gastric cancer is the fourth leading cause of mortality among all malignant diseases.90 % of the cases with gastric cancer are attributed to H.pylori infection and though no longer curable by H.pylori eradication it has become a preventable disease by H.pylori screen and treat strategies. 

Following the successful implementation of diverse strategies of screen and treat in high risk individuals and selected population groups have now based on results from the most recent clinical research, led to the ambition to increasingly raise this prevention concept to a global level. 

The ultimate mission and desire is to make a healthy stomach possible for the entire world population However for the global implementation of such strategies we are facing crucial challenges such as the need to defeat the increasing H.pylori antibiotic resistance, reach out for solutions concerning the complex and jeopardizing interaction of antibiotics with gut microbiota, for issues related to logistics and costs-effectiveness in public health driven measures of general disease prevention. 

The conference „Maastricht VII/Florence towards a global consnsus in H.pylori management“ will now be completed with the face to face meeting here in Fiesole/Florence following a long process of preparation . 

The structure of the meeting has been composed of 3 working groups that elaborated specific statements in key areas guiding the management of H.pylori infection. WG 1 Strategies for primary and secondary prevention of gastric cancer and other pathologies at the individual, selected cohort and population level, Public Health &-Economic related issues WG 2 Diagnostic aspects, antibiotic resistance related issues  WG 3 Treatment adapted to global demands, Future directions originating from basic and translational clinical research , novel non-antibiotic principles for prevention and cure of H.pylori infection 

President of the Meeting 

Peter Malfertheiner