Javier Crespo will participate in the scientific and social conference “Innovation and Equity in Addressing Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease. A Commitment to People Living with Obesity,” to be held on March 4 at the headquarters of the Spanish Medical Association (OMC), coinciding with World Obesity Day.
The meeting will bring together experts from different disciplines to analyze the clinical, scientific, and social challenges posed by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), in the context of obesity and related metabolic disorders.
Crespo, Scientific Director of the Cantabria Cohort at the Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) and Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cantabria, will deliver the institutional welcome alongside representatives from the healthcare sector and will serve as moderator of Panel 1, devoted to scientific advances and precision metabolic medicine.
Scientific Program
The conference will be structured around three working panels addressing metabolic liver disease from a cross-cutting perspective:
1. Science and the Frontier: Towards Precision Metabolic Medicine, which will analyze the molecular mechanisms involved in the disease, the results of the most recent clinical trials, and the impact of new pharmacological therapies. The discussion will also focus on clinical implementation challenges and coordination between specialties, including the role of primary care and the need for multidisciplinary units.
2. From the Patient to the System: An Integrated Clinical and Healthcare Response, which will address regulatory challenges, the evaluation of innovation, and the importance of incorporating patients’ perspectives into decision-making. International experiences on equity in metabolic health and organizational models that facilitate more integrated care will also be shared.
3. Ethics, Equity and Health Policy: Ensuring Access to Innovation, which will highlight the ethical and social dimensions of addressing MASLD, emphasizing that therapeutic innovation must be accompanied by policies that guarantee equitable access and reduce territorial and socioeconomic inequalities.
Objectives of the conference
The main objectives of the meeting include:
• Promoting national strategies for early detection and treatment of MASLD.
• Fostering territorial and social equity in access to innovative therapies.
• Advancing an integrated cardio-hepato-renal-metabolic (CaHeReMe) care model.
• Strengthening coordination between levels of care and medical specialties.
• Positioning the liver within the metabolic axis as a key element in the prevention and management of obesity and its complications.
The conference will conclude with the reading of the “OMC 2026 Declaration on Innovation and Equity in Addressing Metabolic Liver Disease,” outlining commitments aimed at improving the healthcare response to this emerging disease.
