The Increase of IBD in Latin America: Challenge or Opportunity?

Resumen

The global increase in the incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) includes Latin America, where this trend has already been identified in some of its countries. Childhood IBD is also increasing, showing a higher incidence of Crohn’s disease (CD) over ulcerative colitis (UC). Current healthcare systems are not prepared for handling this complex, lifelong costly disease that impacts multiple aspects of the patient’s life. The transition from pediatric to adult care in children with chronic
diseases is accompanied by risks of loss of continuity and decreased adherence to medications and is best addressed by structured longitudinal transition processes. Integrated interdisciplinary models dedicated to caring for patients with IBD in other areas of the world have shown improvement in outcomes and cost reductions. Incorporating pediatric care into the specialized IBD center would serve this purpose. Latin American countries facing an increase in IBD may benefit from pro-actively developing
these integrated IBD centers within their healthcare systems.