Help Us Make a Gut Friendly World This World IBD Day

More than 10 million people worldwide experience the physical, psychological, and financial burdens of living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Every year on May 19, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation recognizes World IBD Day as an opportunity to raise awareness of IBD and accelerate our progress toward cures for the diseases. This year, we are inviting IBD patients and their loved ones, healthcare professionals, researchers, and all members of the IBD community to help us Make a Gut Friendly World in honor of World IBD Day.

Why We Need a Gut Friendly World

High cost of care is a hurdle faced by many IBD patients worldwide; in the United States, healthcare costs for IBD patients are more than three times higher than costs for non-IBD patients, and IBD patients have more than double the out-of-pocket costs than non-IBD patients.¹

As the rate of pediatric-onset IBD rises, especially in countries with historically low rates of disease, the need to address high cost of care, as well as increase international awareness, education, and support for patients is also growing. Since not every patient has access to information about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the Foundation hosts virtual, in-person, and on-demand events through our MyIBD Learning educational programming series. This World IBD Day, you can help Make a Gut Friendly World by empowering yourself with knowledge about IBD research, treatment, and other hot topics, through these educational resources.

Making a Gut Friendly World, One Recipe at a Time

The most common question the Foundation receives from patients is “What can I eat?” While there is no one diet recommended for all IBD patients, partnering with a healthcare professional to identify trigger foods and maintain adequate nutrition can be an important part of a patient’s journey.

To help answer the question “What can I eat?” the Foundation partnered with Nestlé Health Science to create Gut Friendly Recipes, a free online recipe finder tool with over 500 recipes vetted by dietitians who specialize in IBD.

In honor of World IBD day, we are challenging the IBD community to prepare seven Gut Friendly Recipes and share them with family and friends in exchange for donations. See how you can join our Gut Friendly Cooking Challenge and fundraise here.

Plus, when you raise or donate $50 or more, we will send you a limited-edition World IBD Day cooking apron.

Making a Gut Friendly World, One Restroom at a Time

The Foundation launched the We Can’t Wait restroom finder app, the centerpiece of our Open Restrooms Movement, last year. Since then, we have added more than 50,000 restroom locations across the United States to help IBD patients with urgent needs quickly and easily find a bathroom when they are away from home.

To help Make a Gut Friendly World, download the We Can’t Wait app for free from the App Store or Google Play Store and add restrooms in your local community. You can also provide feedback on existing restrooms listed on the app.

Making a Gut Friendly World on World IBD Day and Beyond

Every IBD patient faces different challenges in their journey with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. As we aim to make the world more gut-friendly, we invite the IBD community to tell us how the Foundation can continue to Make a Gut Friendly World on World IBD Day and beyond by completing a brief survey.

When you complete the survey, you can enter for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Williams Sonoma. With that and the limited-edition apron, you’ll be ready to prepare Gut Friendly Recipes and Make a Gut Friendly World all year long.

¹ The Cost of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

Thank you to our World IBD Day Sponsors