Coeliac awareness has once again brought hundreds of people together to share knowledge, experience and understanding on the disease.
Marking its third National Coeliac Conference, PR consultancy Narrative Structures invited Carolina Ciacci a professor of gastroenterology from the University of Salerno, Italy and chairwoman of the Federation of Italian Scientific Societies for Gastrointestinal Diseases, as keynote speaker to mark the event.
Prof. Ciacci spoke about the quality of life for those who live with coeliac disease. She addressed gastroenterologists and other medical professionals on May 12 at the Italian Cultural Institute and people with coeliac disease and other health professionals May 13 at the Palace, Valletta. The events were organised with the ongoing support and in collaboration with the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute.
President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca inaugurated the opening of the Saturday event and appealed for national coeliac screening. The President said this since many people are diagnosed with coeliac disease during adulthood, sometimes late adulthood, after many years of having already been suffering from this condition. The screening would ensure early detection in people at risk and prove to be beneficial to those who have coeliac disease yet show no or few symptoms. There are currently around 1,500 people registered in Malta as being coeliac.
Prof. Ciacci spoke about the psychological imbalance she claims may affect a person with coeliac disease, with variable degrees of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, eating disorders and fatigue. She also shed light on gluten sensitivity.
The event was organised with the support of Barilla, Golden Harvest, media partner Times of Malta, the Malta Coeliac Association, Malta College of Family Doctors and Maltese Paediatric Association. Further thanks go to Dr Schar, Peak’s Free From, Schnitzer, Betty Crocker, Sign it and Almondy cakes
Meanwhile, to ensure a better quality of life for people on a gluten-free diet, last year Narrative Structures announced its partnership with Coeliac UK, the world’s largest coeliac NGO, to make available education and training in gluten-free catering for restaurants, schools and hospitals.
The courses cover various angles to gluten-free preparation, including also what is required by law to adhere to gluten-free safe cooking.
For more information, e-mail information@narrativestructures.com or visit Narrative Structures or Gluten Free Training on Facebook.