WFIPP Marks 20 Years of Patient Advocacy and Scientific Progress at Global Summit on Pelvic Health in Rome
Empowering Patients, Advancing Science
Rome, 26 June 2026 — The World Federation of Incontinence and Pelvic Problems (WFIPP) marked its 20th anniversary with the Global Summit on Pelvic Health: “Empowering Patients, Advancing Science”, held at the Casa dell’Aviatore in Rome. The event brought together patient advocates, clinicians, researchers, policymakers, scientific societies, industry partners and international organisations to address one of the most pressing yet still largely invisible public health challenges: incontinence and pelvic floor disorders.
For two decades, WFIPP has worked to ensure that people living with incontinence and pelvic floor conditions are no longer unseen or unheard. The Summit provided a unique platform to reflect on this journey, celebrate progress, and renew a shared commitment to improving awareness, prevention, diagnosis, access to care and quality of life for patients worldwide.
Incontinence affects an estimated 55 to 60 million people in Europe and continues to carry a major social, economic and emotional burden. Moreover, urinary incontinence cost European countries €69.1 billion in 2023, with costs expected to rise significantly without targeted action on prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The condition rarely occurs in isolation. It is often associated with other chronic health conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases, diabetes and mental health disorders.
The Summit opened with welcome remarks from Mary Lynne Van Poelgeest-Pomfret, President of WFIPP, and Francesco Diomede, WFIPP Vice-President, followed by institutional contributions from representatives, Antonella Sberna, Vice-President at the European Parliament, Michele Picaro, Member of the European Parliament, Filippo Anelli, President of the Italian Order of Physicians, and Marcella Marletta, former General Director of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices at the Italian Ministry of Health.
Throughout the day, leading figures from the continence and pelvic health community contributed to a rich and multidisciplinary programme. Keynote speakers included Eamonn Rogers, Chair of the EAU Patient Office, Tufan Tarcan, ICS General Secretary, Montserrat Espuña Pons, EUGA President, Pedro Blasco, President of SINUG, and Mauro Cervigni, President of ESSIC. Also Philip van Kerrebroeck, Vice-Chair at the European Association of Urology Policy Office, Imran Omar, Chair of the EAU Methods Committee, Guidelines Office, as well as many other speakers from across the globe. Their contributions reinforced the importance of placing continence health higher on the public health and policy agenda, while ensuring that scientific progress translates into better outcomes for patients.
A central theme of the Summit was the need to move beyond isolated efforts. Patients, patient organisations, healthcare professionals, researchers, scientific societies, policymakers and industry all have a role to play, but meaningful change requires collaboration across sectors and countries. This spirit was reflected in the international roundtable on Global Continence Health, moderated by Eamonn Rogers and Vito Mancini, with contributions from patient advocates, clinicians and organisational leaders from Italy, the UK, Ireland, Poland, Canada, Estonia, Slovakia and Spain.
The programme also gave significant space to strategic projects and initiatives shaping the future of continence and pelvic health. These included the REVEAL-OAB Study, An Urge to Act, PROCON & Koku Bladder, URinControl, The OPTIMA Experience, and perspectives on shared decision-making in the United States. Together, these projects illustrated how research, innovation, digital tools, education and real-world evidence can help transform care pathways and support more personalised, patient-centred approaches.
Patient voices were at the heart of the event. Personal testimonies reminded participants that incontinence is not only a clinical or economic issue, but a deeply human one, affecting dignity, independence, relationships, mental health and daily life. Speakers such as Lucy Brett, alongside other patient advocates and representatives of patient organisations, highlighted the importance of listening to lived experience and involving patients meaningfully in research, care design and policy discussions.
The Summit also included dedicated industry spotlight sessions from Medtronic, Coloplast and Becton Dickinson & Company, exploring topics such as real-life patient experience, shared decision-making, bladder emptying, urinary continence management innovation and patient engagement. These sessions underlined the role of responsible cross-sector collaboration in developing solutions that respond to real patient needs.
One of the key milestones of the day was the Call to Action: the WFIPP Rome Declaration 2026, presented by Vito Mancini and Mary Lynne Van Poelgeest-Pomfret. Developed as a direct outcome of the Summit, the Declaration captured the spirit of the event and set out a shared roadmap for the years ahead. It calls on governments, health systems, professional societies and stakeholders worldwide to recognise continence health as a public health priority; ensure timely access to diagnosis and evidence-based care; place patients at the centre of decision-making; reduce stigma through education and awareness; support innovation and digital health solutions; promote research and international collaboration; and guarantee meaningful patient involvement in policy development.
Looking towards 2030, the Rome Declaration reaffirms WFIPP’s commitment to working alongside international organisations, scientific societies, healthcare professionals, policymakers, patient organisations and industry partners to build a future in which everyone affected by incontinence or pelvic floor disorders can receive timely, dignified and effective care.
The 20th anniversary Summit was both a celebration and a turning point. It honoured WFIPP’s two decades of work in raising awareness, supporting patients and promoting action, while also looking ahead to the next decade with renewed ambition. The message from Rome was clear: continence and pelvic health can no longer remain invisible, and progress will depend on the ability of all stakeholders to work together around a shared purpose — improving the lives of patients.
As WFIPP enters its third decade, the Federation will continue to champion patient voices, strengthen international collaboration, support scientific and educational initiatives, and advocate for continence and pelvic health to be recognised as essential components of public health.
Founded in 2006, the World Federation of Incontinence and Pelvic Problems (WFIPP) is a federation of national patient organisations and institutions dedicated to raising awareness, supporting advocacy and promoting action on incontinence and pelvic floor disorders. Its mission is to give visibility to conditions that affect millions of people worldwide and to improve the quality of life of those living with them.
World Federation of Incontinence and Pelvic Problems (WFIPP)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wfipp.org