Since 1993, the Gut Foundation, (formerly the Bowel and Liver Trust,) has helped improve the gut health of the people of New Zealand by promoting research and education of gut diseases and disorders. Many of these people that the Gut Foundation have advocated for are your friends and neighbours. Gut health is not something we like to speak about but it is the silent killer that is ever present in our community.
The Trust has successfully raised funds (over $1.5 million) for over thirty individual projects including:
- The first capsule endoscopy equipment in the South Island. This equipment has now been used to diagnose small intestinal disorders in over 500 patients from around the South Island
- Computer equipment and salary to support the Familial Bowel Cancer Registry to aid screening and help prevent colorectal cancer.
- Television, computer and data projector to promote education to patient groups including patients with hepatitis B and C, inflammatory bowel disease. Coeliac disease and colorectal cancer.
- Direct support of the Coeliac Disease Support Group and the Crohn’s and Colitis Support Groups to improve patient education and knowledge.
- Support of research concerning the frequency, causes, diagnosis, investigation, treatment, effects and cost of inflammatory bowel disease, Bowel cancer and Coeliac Disease.
- Equipment to facilitate research into liver disease such as viral hepatitis and autoimmune liver disease.
- Equipment to improve the diagnosis of oesophageal disorders such as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and motility disorders using manometry testing.
- Supporting staff to learn skills at specialist centres to improve the local treatment of incontinence and intestinal failure.
- Worked cooperatively with the Canterbury District Health board to ensure that Canterbury has ready access to the latest Endoscopic Ultra Sound equipment. That EUS was installed into the Christchurch Public Hospital in 2012.
With your help we can all ensure the Gut health is improved. Lets change those appalling Bowel cancer statistics through earlier diagnosis and a better understanding of the journey sufferers of gut disease have. – Get involved