WHO, Imperial College London and EASL Launch First WHO Collaborating Centre Dedicated to Liver Disease

The World Health Organization (WHO), Imperial College London, and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) inaugurated on June 24, 2026, the first WHO Collaborating Centre dedicated to liver disease. The Centre is located at the White City Campus in London and is co-directed by Professors Mark Thursz and Pinelopi Manousou. Liver disease is the only major non-communicable disease still rising in Europe, causing approximately 780 deaths daily in the WHO region and costing regional economies €55 billion annually. Approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide live with steatotic liver disease, making it the fastest-growing cause of chronic liver disease globally. Over the next four years, the Centre will conduct a pan-European baseline assessment and develop prevention recommendations for the 53 WHO Member States.