Fatty Liver Disease (MASLD): Global Recognition Highlights H.U.B’s Expertise

MASLD (Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or “fatty liver disease,” is now the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. In Europe, it affects between 25% and 30% of the adult population, and its prevalence continues to rise due to increasing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.

Long underestimated, this condition has become a major public health challenge. Often silent for many years, MASLD can progress to severe liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. It is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

A historic milestone has recently been reached: the World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to include MASLD among non-communicable diseases (NCDs), alongside cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. This marks the first time the condition has received such recognition and represents a major turning point in the global response to the disease.

This development is supported in part by several international scientific publications in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, to which teams from the Brussels University Hospital (H.U.B) have actively contributed. Among them, a recent study highlighted the lack of preparedness of many European countries in addressing the growing burden of MASLD, including the frequent absence of national screening and management strategies.

According to Professor Christophe Moreno, Director of the Medical and Surgical Department of Digestive Diseases and Head of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepato-Pancreatology at H.U.B-Erasmus, the WHO’s decision sends a strong message:

"MASLD has become one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. Its inclusion among non-communicable diseases by the WHO confirms the scale of the health challenge we face and underscores the importance of early detection and multidisciplinary management."

This international milestone also reflects the recognition of the expertise developed within H.U.B in the field of liver diseases. Professor Christophe Moreno has represented French-speaking Belgium in several European initiatives dedicated to MASLD and has contributed to the scientific work that helped advance the institutional recognition of the disease.

At Erasmus Hospital, patients with MASLD benefit from a specialised multidisciplinary approach involving hepatologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, nutritionists, and dietitians. This coordinated care model enables early detection, accurate assessment of liver damage, and comprehensive management of associated metabolic risk factors.

H.U.B also participates in the development and evaluation of innovative therapeutic approaches, providing patients with access to the most advanced treatments whenever appropriate.

As several million people in Belgium are affected by MASLD, the WHO’s recognition highlights the urgent need to improve awareness, screening, and management of a disease that remains insufficiently known. It also underscores the leading role played by H.U.B teams in advancing knowledge and improving liver care at both the national and international levels.