Slovak Crohn Club is a civic association of patients with Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis. It was founded in 1993 by MUDr. Příkazská CSc. from VÚV Bratislava and had worked under her leadership for 4 years..
Any patient with one of these diseases can become a member by sending the completed application form and paying the annual membership fee. Currently, approximately four-fifths of the members consist of patients with Crohn's disease and one-fifth are patients with Ulcerative Colitis.
Both diseases are relatively rare and therefore it is quite difficult for patients to establish contact with each other. Often, even those treated by one doctor don’t know each other. Since its inception, the club has been organising activities that allow members to meet each other and exchange practical experiences of living with the disease. Such a possibility is very important especially for newly diagnosed patients, who are often surprised by a new life situation. The fact that these diseases are lifelong and also the lack of information about them have a very bad influence on the mental health, especially of young people. Mutual meetings make it possible to gain practical experience (diet, the effects of the medications, the lifestyle…) that a doctor cannot provide even with the best of intentions. We publish information about both diseases, new medications and treatments that we are able to obtain, as well as news about what is happening at the club in the club magazine Bulletine.
Every year we organise a reconditioning - rehabilitation stay for our members, aimed at improving the physical and mental condition of the participants. The program includes yoga and, most recently, QiGong, relaxation, hiking trips and lectures. Stays are very popular among our members for their informality.
Reconditioning stays took place:
- 2020 – Horný Smokovec (High Tatras)
- 2019 – Štrbské Pleso (High Tatras)
- 2018 – Štrbské Pleso (High Tatras)
- 2017 – Štrbské Pleso (High Tatras)
- 2016 – Štrbské Pleso (High Tatras)
- 2015 - Tatranská Lomnica (High Tatras)
- 2014 – Štrbské Pleso (High Tatras)
- 2013 – Štrbské Pleso (High Tatras)
- 2012 – Liptovský Ján (Low Tatras)
- 2011 – Hotel Boboty (Little Fatra)
- 2010 - Tatranská Lomnica (High Tatras)
- 2009 - Tatranská Lomnica (High Tatras)
- 2008 - Smižany
- 2007 - Tatranská Lomnica
- 2006 – Smižany
- 1999 – 2004 Liptovský Ján
- 1998 – Rajecké Teplice
- 1997 – Donovaly
- 1996 – Dudince
- 1994-95 – Sklené Teplice
Our club has been a member of the EFCCA , the European Federation of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Associations since 1995. The possibility of contact with patients from all over Europe, comparing our experiences with treatment and especially with the organisation of work is very inspiring for us. Our members regularly attend EFCCA meetings, as well as regular meetings of members under the age of 30, EFCCA Youth Group.
The Slovak Crohn Club is a member of the SHR (Slovak Humanitarian Council), a member of the Civilisation Diseases Section of the Council of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Disabled Citizens, cooperates with the Slovak Association of Gastroenterologists and several pharmaceutical companies that support its activities.
May 13, 2000 was the first international day of Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis , which is celebrated on the second Saturday in May. In connection with this important day, all European associations are trying to promote their activities and make them publicly visible. The Slovak Crohn Club is also actively involved in these activities.
The club presidents:
- MUDr. Marianna Príkazská CSc. (1993 - 1997)
- Ing. Tomáš Gertler (1997 – 1999)
- Ing. Veronika Ondriašová (1999 - 2007)
- Viola Števurková (2007 - 2017)
- Mgr. Nina Kovačiková (2017 - 2018)
- Bc. Veronika Ivančíková (2018 - )
The main goals of the club:
- to bring together patients with Crohn's disease (MC) and Ulcerative colitis (UC), to enable them to contact each other and exchange practical experiences related to these diseases (lifestyle, diet ...)
- to obtain information about MC and UC diseases, about new treatments and medicines and to spread them among our members through professional lectures and a club magazine
- to organise reconditioning stays for club members
- to cooperate with European clubs of similar focus associated in the EFCCA (European Federation of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Associations)
- to organise the cooperation of all those who can contribute to the improvement of the health and social standard of the patients
Plans for the future
We will continue to strive to promote the club's work among physicians and in the media so that as many patients as possible know about our activities and also become known to the general public. We would like to draw up a plan for working with children and young people in the future. We will try to involve as many members as possible in the active work of the club.
Within the EFCCA we want to continue to work together, develop cooperation with its member organisations , especially with neighboring countries: Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic, and to involve our young members with language skills in these activities as well.
We will continue to strive to keep doctors informed of our activities. We would like to improve the cooperation with the Slovak Gastroenterological Society and in cooperation with this organisation we would like to develop a model of cooperation between our club and some specialised clinics.
We still want to publish the club's magazine Bulletin , twice a year if possible, and other promotional material about the club's activities. If financial possibilities allow, we would like to publish monothematic manuals - General information on UC and MC for patients, as well as a book of recipes suitable for these diseases.
