Dear Collegues,

We would like to invite you to the Gastrosummit (METAP-CIS) Association, set up with a vision of building regional equality in the field of Gastroenterology.

Medicine today represents a regional hierarchical structure; both the content of the congresses organized and the shares of the speakers, as well as the countries where the publications with high impact factors originate, are located in the Global North, in so-called developed countries Although resources allocated to science have increased significantly in recent years and access to all types of publications or sophisticated diagnostic and treatment tools has become easier in the Global South, Global North-based institutions and journals continue to dominate medicine.

This regional hierarchy is observed in the world of Gastroenterology as well. Despite regional differences in the lived realities and experiences of GI practitioners and patients, guidelines in our area do not take these into account and portray universal understandings that are actually based on experiences of patients in the Global North. These guidelines play a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of our patients worldwide. There are few organizations working on the medical needs of Global South countries, such as the World Gastroenterology Organisation, and even less specific diagnostic and treatment guidelines tailored to the needs of doctors and patients living in these countries. There is a need for specialized structures that understand these needs and can create more practical and pragmatic approaches by adapting to the conditions of countries with limited resources...