On the occasion of World Toilet Day, patient associations Crohn & Colitis ulcerosa Vereniging vzw and Crohn RCUH asbl are starting an awareness campaign to create more awareness about the medical necessity of the toilet pass for patients with chronic bowel disease.
More than 30,000 Belgians today suffer from a chronic intestinal disease, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It is a chronic inflammation of the digestive system, which often leads to symptoms such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain and weight loss.
The toilet pass was created for these patients a few years ago. Thanks to this medically certified pass, patients can use the toilet free of charge wherever they are – a shop, a catering establishment or any other freely accessible place.
However, the general public is still little familiar with the existence of the toilet pass and its medical necessity. This lack of knowledge, understanding and awareness places the disease and the toilet pass in a taboo atmosphere, and sometimes patients end up in social isolation due to the stigmatizing perception.
To remedy this situation, patient associations Crohn & Ulcerative Colitis Association vzw and Crohn RCUH asbl are kicking off an awareness campaign this weekend. The campaign is supported by the biopharmaceutical company Takeda, and has the support of professional organizations such as Comeos, Horeca Vlaanderen, Unizo and UCM. The campaign includes a sticker promotion. On the basis of the stickers, operators of shops, catering establishments and other places can signal to patients that they are welcome with their toilet card.
“For thousands of Belgian patients, the toilet card is anything but an unnecessary luxury, but a much-needed tool to support their daily medical, mental and social well-being,” says Lynn Debrun, president of Crohn & Ulcerative Colitis Association vzw.
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