EFAD newsflash - Our response to COVID-19

The voice of European Dietetics 
Welcome to your fortnightly EFAD Newsflash - please share this important update with your colleagues and ask them to subscribe. 

Dietitians across Europe have much to contribute to the fight against COVID-19, through dietetic advice on prevention, critical care and recovery. EFAD wishes all our members health and strength during these difficult times.

Annemieke van Ginkel-Res EFAD Honorary President
Judith Liddell EFAD Executive Director

Survey on the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on dietary habits

The University of Granada in collaboration with other partners in Europe is running an online survey to estimate the impact of quarantine on the dietary habits of people living in Greece, Italy, Portugal, France, Germany and Spain.

Contribute to the survey here.

'COVID-19: European Coordinated Response to the pandemic' - webinar tomorrow

On Friday 3 April from 11 am-12:30 pm CET, the EU Health Policy Platform will host a live webinar “COVID-19: European Coordinated Response to the pandemic”. The webinar will start by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) presenting an epidemiological situation and risk assessment of COVID-19. The European Commission will then give an overview on how it is supporting the Member States in this pandemic.

See the agenda and register to attend.

COVID-19 – Nutritional Support in the ICU

Please join the BDA Critical Care Specialist Group on Monday 6 April,  6:30pm – 7:45pm (BST) at this webinar, hosted by Nutricia, which will cover:

• the new BDA Critical Care Specialist Group guidance on COVID 19 and nutrition and dietetic service management
• a look at the COVID 19 patient
• how treatment can impact on nutritional status
• sharing of current experience and best practice in the nutritional management of these patients.

You will also have the opportunity to ask any questions.

This webinar is free and intended for healthcare professionals only. All views expressed are those of the speakers and not Nutricia.

Register now.

Nutritional Management of Patients with COVID-19: New ESPEN Recommendations

Pierre Singer MD, Intensive Care, Gastroenterology and Nutrition Expert and Co-author of the ESPEN Recommendations for COVID-19 Patients will host this webinar on Monday 6 April, 6pm - 6:20pm (CET). 

Dr Singer has over 30 years of clinical and academic experience. He currently maintains appointments as the Director of the General Intensive Care Department and the Institute for Nutrition Research (2000-present), at the Rabin Medical Center, and Director of Metabolism Laboratory at the Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Israel. He was the Chairman of ESPEN (European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism) (2004-2008) and has published more than 300 articles.

Register here.

EFAD discounts extended until April!

Receive a 20% discount on the Monash University online course 'The FODMAP Diet for IBS' the deadline for this great offer is 30 April.

This 10 module online course focuses on the dietetic management of IBS and the FODMAP diet. The course provides scientific rationale and practical information and resources for dietitians wanting to specialise in this area of practice.

Discount codes have been assigned depending on your location.

• Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, UK - please use the code EFAD20
• Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey - please use the code EFAD2020
• Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden - please use the code EFADMARCH

Registered Dietitians who pass this course will be eligible to be listed on the Monash FODMAP Dietitian Directory, which connects patients with IBS to dietitians who have completed the training.

Register now!

EFAD Executive Committee Meeting

The EFAD Executive Committee held the annual face to face Executive Committee Meeting virtually this year.

Over two days we discussed Strategic Planning, the 31st General Meeting agenda, Projects, Transparency and Collaborations. With regular breaks and a lot of goodwill, it proved to be a highly successful and enjoyable meeting.

The minutes of this meeting will be made available soon.

Rewatch our recent webinar

We recently uploaded our webinar on Mediterranean diet and non-alcholic fatty liver disease. 

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disorder in Western countries. At present, no formally approved pharmacological or surgical therapy exists for the management of NAFLD and lifestyle modifications remain the cornerstone therapy. Recently, it has been proven that not only the Mediterranean diet but the Mediterranean lifestyle as well, can benefit patients with NAFLD.

Watch the webinar now!

Read our Conference abstracts!

Abstracts from our 12th EFAD Conference, that took place in Berlin last year and saw research presented from all over Europe on a variety of topics, is now available to read online. Published by Karger in the Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, it features the presented abstracts in detail.

Read the abstracts.

Need access to evidence-based dietetic resources?

PEN have created a temporary open access website for all dietitians and dietetic students. This is to support those on the front line or working virtually to provide evidence-based care and combat misinformation.

Click here to access the whole PEN knowledge-base system without having to log in.

A call for you to be a distributor

The European Health Forum Gastein 2019 that took place last year focused on transformative change for health and societal well-being. 

Participants looking for solution-oriented discussions included the European Commission, civil society representatives, key opinion leaders from the academic world, and private sector stakeholders from the pharmaceutical industry and beyond. 

Read the Outcomes document from the day.

Obesity and its roots

As part of World Obesity Day last month, WHO have produced a blog on obesity and its roots. 

Obesity rates have nearly tripled since 1975 and have increased almost five times in children and adolescents, affecting people of all ages from all social groups in both developed and developing countries. Obesity is a major risk factor for various noncommunicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and various forms of cancer.

Read the blog to find out how WHO aims to respond to the obesity crisis.

Report: Nutrition for Geriatric Patients

The initiative meeting ‘Nutrition for Geriatric Patients’, held in Aarhus on 20 January 2020, was a great success.  

A number of presentations took place, including Charlotte Suetta, who emphasised 'the importance of strength training for the elderly' and Josephine Gade Bang-Petersen, who presented part of her PhD findings with the presentation ‘The importance of extra protein when older patients are offered training during and after hospitalisation’.

Find out more about the day.

European Public Health Week 2020

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Public Health Week (EUPHW) will go ahead on 11-15 May, with a new focus: Joining Forces for Healthier Populations. Governments, scientists, health professionals and the civil society must work together to tackle the pandemic and raise awareness about public health.

EUPHW is encouraging you and your team to host online events between 11-15 May to share knowledge and experiences about COVID-19. You can link the pandemic to any of the 5 EUPHW themes or focus your event exclusively on COVID-19 and share your event across Europe. 

Find out more and how to get involved on the European Public Health Association website.

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