Global Liver Institute
Fatty Liver Disease
GLOBAL LIVER INSTITUTE
Fatty Liver Disease Council Overview
Fatty Liver Disease News
Resources
Membership
Fatty Liver Disease Council
Born from the urgent need to give patients a voice in liver health, the Fatty Liver Disease Council was established to unite organizations and stakeholders in a shared mission to identify gaps, address critical public health issues, and champion patient-focused solutions. The Fatty Liver Disease Council (formerly the NASH Council), comprising over 96 member organizations – including patient advocacy groups, medical societies, and government agencies – champions fatty liver disease as a prominent public health concern. The Council advocates for patient priorities, amplifying the voice of the liver disease community in key regulatory and legislative realms. The Fatty Liver Disease Council convenes twice per calendar year and may create workgroups to advance and develop specific concepts.
FLD Council Goals
- Lead robust advocacy initiatives to secure formal regulatory approval for NASH/MASH treatments, so patients have access to effective treatment choices
- Develop clinician education resources in collaboration with partners, with a focus on primary care specialists, to ensure accurate and timely screening, diagnosis, and treatment
- Collaborate with organizations to establish routine screening for fatty liver disease as a coexisting condition alongside diabetes, heart disease, and obesity to ensure timely assessments for at-risk individuals
- Develop and distribute support resources for veterans with or at risk of fatty liver disease in partnership with the Veterans Health Administration
- Ensure convenient, cost-effective patient access to medications and therapies
Policy and Advocacy Initiatives
- Educating Congressional staff during annual Hill Days in conjunction with GLI’s Advanced Advocacy Academy
- Preparing patient advocates to connect their stories to policy impact for hearings, listening sessions, and other engagements with policymakers
- Leading and joining letters to key policymakers to advance liver health and the well-being of liver patients
- Aligning and advocating alongside coalition partners to promote the medications, coverage, and access needed for patients
- Sharing key events and opportunities with the liver health community through regular webinars and newsletters
- Connecting with key players both inside the Capitol and within the public to build and establish GLI as the primary resource for all liver health topics
Collaborations
Global Fatty Liver Day
Global Fatty Liver Day, formerly known as International NASH Day, is a public education campaign that was inaugurated in June 2018 to enhance awareness and emphasize the pressing nature of fatty liver disease (steatotic liver disease).
Observed each year on the second Thursday in June, Global Fatty Liver Day shines a light on a silent but growing epidemic. By 2030, 357 million people are expected to be affected worldwide. Because symptoms often go unnoticed, fatty liver disease is underdiagnosed and underreported. Closely tied to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol, it can progress to cirrhosis, liver cancer, or even the need for a transplant if left untreated.
The Liver Forum
The Liver Forum is an initiative of the Forum for Collaborative Research, part of the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. The Liver Forum was launched in 2014 in response to The Trial Designs and Endpoints for Liver Disease Secondary to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) meeting sponsored in 2013 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD).
The Liver Forum aims to advance the regulatory sciences for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis by providing an independent and neutral venue for ongoing multi-stakeholder dialogue to identify and address gaps in the field. Neutrality and objectivity is ensured through representation and active engagement of scientific experts from all stakeholder groups, including academia, industry, patient community and regulatory agencies.
GLI President and CEO Donna R. Cryer, JD is included in this expert group of stakeholders on the steering committee as a community representative.