LiverWELL is proud to be convening the first Australian National Symposium on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) on 25^th October 2024.

MASLD is a significant sub-group of Steatotic Liver Disease (formerly known as Fatty Liver Disease). It affects an estimated 1 in 4 Australians and increases the risk of liver cancer, the fastest growing cause of cancer deaths in Australia.

Australians are dying preventable deaths, and we are committed to mobilising action to change this. 

Acknowledging the significant day to day pressures the health sector operates under, LiverWELL is convening this event to create the space required for clinicians, researchers, public health experts, aligned organisations and consumers to come together and identify how to best tackle this complex issue collectively.

The symposium builds on the momentum of the first global liver health policy event that was held alongside the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September, where international health leaders, including our Keynote presenter Professor Jeffrey V. Lazarus, explored how to prioritise the global public health threat posed by MASLD.

The topics discussed at this event will leverage leading international research led by Professor Lazarus to explore and identify key priorities in the Australian context:

1. Human and economic burden
2. Models of care
3. Treatment and care
4. Education and awareness
5. Patient and community perspectives
6. Leadership and policies

The event aims are to:

• Share knowledge, experiences and potential to leverage cross-disciplinary solutions that can improve consumer experiences and ease individual professional pressures.
• Leverage international research and initiatives as well as the experience and learnings from action regarding other metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
• Identify the national support, resources and investment that are needed to improve the current and forecasted experiences of people with, and at risk of developing, the disease.
• Determine priorities for action, based on need, impact, capacity and appetite.
• Work towards a collective advocacy statement to deliver a shared message to gain national support and investment for systemic change.

Read Professor Lazarus et al.’s article, A Global Action Agenda for Turning the Tide on Fatty Liver Disease, which features contributions from leading experts across the globe.