The Croatian Society of Gastroenterology was founded in 1992 during the war through which the country fought for independency. From its beginnings it was dedicated to encourage excellence and advancement as well as to promote evidence based medicine and improve training and practice in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology. All this was hard to pursue during the war (1991 – 1995), but later the Society developed progressively.

The members of the Society strived to achieve high standards in gastroenterology, endoscopy and hepatology that were inherited in the EU countries, to which the country desired to join, and finally joined at July 1st 2013.

Today every hospital in Croatia has a gastroenterology ward and organised endoscopy. The Society has 546 regular and affiliated members and gathers all gastroenterologists, gastroenterology residents and other specialists involved in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology such as paediatricians, infectologists and surgeons from the whole country.

The Croatian Society of Gastroenterology is a member of United European Gastroenterology and World Gastroenterology Organisation . It cooperates with the Government on the formation of training schemes, and many of the members are the teachers at Croatian universities.

The Society monitors the organisation and the quality of the medical care in the field delivered through the national health system and suggests measures to improve the effectiveness and the quality of the medical care, preventative measures, screening programs, etc. In the cooperation with the Croatian Medical Chamber the Society monitors the work of physicians delivering medical care in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology. The Society publishes various publications for all sorts of medical professionals as well as for patients, and also organises national promotions and TV conferences to inform the citizens of Croatia about the epidemiology, risk factors, prevention measures, screening programs and diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities for the major problems and the diseases suitable for effective prevention or early detection and therefore effective treatment.

The activities of the Society stream through various sections, of which the most active are: Endoscopic section, IBD national group, Section for pancreatic diseases, Section for liver diseases, Section for monitoring of Helicobacter pylori infection, Section for clinical nutrition and metabolism, Section for endoscopic ultrasound, Section for ethics and quality of life of GI patients, Section for oncology of GI tract, Section for telegastroeterology and Youth Section. The Society organises regular meetings twice a year, and a national congress with international participation every three years. Various other national and international events are organised every year by the members under the auspices of the Society, including endoscopic workshops, sections meetings, consensus conferences, symposiums, etc.

The Society strongly supports international collaboration of its members and coordinates the arrangements for visiting the centres of clinical and research excellence especially for its young members.