Revealing the Invisible: IBD Awareness in Belgium
Revealing the Invisible: Shedding Light on the Hidden Realities of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
October 22, 2025
Making the invisible visible
Every day, it is estimated that thousands1 of people in Belgium live with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), an often invisible, chronic condition that deeply affects their quality of life. Despite advances in treatment, many challenges remain: fragmented care, lack of visibility and limited data.
To mark Belgian National IBD Day on 22 October, Takeda Belgium is launching Revealing The Invisible, a three-part video series that brings together patients and gastroenterologists for open conversations. Together, they explore what truly matters in Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis care and how we can make the invisible visible.
“We believe that improving IBD care starts with listening - to patients, to healthcare professionals and to the challenges they face every day. With ‘Revealing the Invisible’, we wanted to amplify the voices of those living with Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis, and those caring for them. Our mission is clear: raise awareness, foster understanding, and inspire collaboration to achieve better outcomes for these unseen conditions.” explains Adriana Bustamante, Head of Gastroenterology, Takeda Belgium.
Episode 1 – Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and multidisciplinary care
In the first episode, patients and specialists share how Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affects every part of life: from the uncertainty of daily symptoms to the emotional toll of living with an “invisible” illness.
Gastroenterologists emphasize that IBD should not be viewed as “just a digestive disease” but as a condition requiring multidisciplinary care that integrates medical, nutritional, and psychological support.
Episode 2 – Data: the key to better care
In Belgium, no one knows exactly how many people live with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The lack of reliable data makes the disease even more invisible and harder to address.
This episode explores why collecting better, high-quality data is essential to improving diagnosis, guiding research, and ensuring resources are allocated where they’re needed most.
Better data helps identify trends, allocate resources, and develop more personalized treatments, paving the way toward more informed and equitable IBD care.
Episode 3 – Patient-Centered Care
The final episode of our series about Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) focuses on care that listens, adapts, and empowers. From less invasive monitoring tools like ultrasound and fecal calprotectin testing, to involving patients in treatment decisions, this discussion shows how a patient-centered, multidisciplinary approach can make a real difference.
It’s not just about managing symptoms. It’s about recognizing the patient beyond their condition, involving them in their care, and helping them live their life to the fullest.
Do you live with IBD and are you looking for support?
If you’re a French-speaking patient with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, you can reach out to the non-profit Association Crohn-R.C.U.H.
In Flanders, patients affected by Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can contact the Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis Association vzw.
Together, we can continue revealing the invisible and building a stronger, more connected IBD community in Belgium.
References
- Kaplan GG, Windsor JW. The four epidemiological stages in the global evolution of inflammatory bowel disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021
C-ANPROM/BE/IBDD/0430 – October 2025