The annual Coeliac Awareness Week, organised by the Coeliac Society of Ireland in partnership with SuperValu – will take place this year from 8th to 15th May. The theme of this year’s Week is ‘Faces of Coeliac Disease’.
Throughout the week, the Coeliac Society will be highlighting the fact that coeliac disease can occur at any stage in life, and is a life-long condition. Coeliac disease affects an estimated one in every 100 people in Ireland.
A range of events will take place nationwide to mark the week, including:
- The launch of an online self-assessment tool to help people to determine if they could be coeliac.
- A campaign aimed at GPs and pharmacists to raise awareness of the symptoms of coeliac disease.
- A series of in-store events at SuperValu stores around Ireland, including dietetic talks, advice from the Coeliac Society of Ireland and gluten-free food samplings.
- The launch of a new initiative calling on supermarkets to commit to stocking eight gluten free staples in store, similar to what SuperValu has been doing over the past 3 years. SuperValu is the first to sign up to the initiative, and the Coeliac Society of Ireland will be calling on other supermarkets nationwide to join them.
A number of Society members will be available as media case studies to share their own experiences of living with coeliac disease. These include; twin girls aged seven diagnosed as coeliac in infancy; a young woman and coeliac blogger, Coeliac Girl; a man in his late twenties who was recently diagnosed; and a long-standing member of the Coeliac Society in his sixties, a long term coeliac.
For further details of Coeliac Awareness Week 2017, visit: www.coeliac.ie.
About the Coeliac Society
The Coeliac Society of Ireland is a national charity that provides its members with information and support, and works to make Ireland a better place to live for people with coeliac disease. Follow the Coeliac Society on Twitter, @CoeliacIreland.
What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease that prevents those affected from digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. The disease can manifest itself at any stage in a person’s lifetime, with symptoms including abdominal pain, recurring mouth-ulcers, weight-loss, vomiting and diarrhoea. It is estimated to affect 47,500 people in Ireland.