The Bengal Liver Summit (BLS) 2026 held a Patient & Public Awareness and Engagement Program in Kolkata, as liver health continued to become a significant public health issue in India. By converting scientific knowledge about liver illnesses into understandable, useful messages for patients and their families, the program sought to close the knowledge gap between medical professionals and the general population. In addition to addressing common misconceptions that frequently impede diagnosis and treatment, the workshop concentrated on prevention, risk-based early identification, vaccination, prompt testing, and lifestyle modifications to maintain liver function.

Ajeet Singh Bhadoria, Additional Professor, Community Medicine, AIIMS Rishikesh, Dr. Uday C. Ghoshal, Chairman, Scientific Committee and Senior Consultant Gastroenterology & Chief, Luminal Gastroenterology, Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata, Dr. Mahesh K. Goenka, Organising Chairman and Director & Head, Institute of Gastrosciences & Liver Transplant, Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata, Dr. Robert Fontana, Professor of Medicine in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the University of Michigan Medical School, USA, Dr. Akash Roy, Organising Secretary and Consultant Hepatologist, Institute of Gastrosciences & Liver Transplant, Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata graced the session.

The Indian National Association for the Study of the Liver (INASL) midterm meeting, the Bengal Liver Summit (BLS) 2026, brought together national and international professionals to discuss hepatology advancements with a focus on public awareness and prevention. Experts emphasized during the public-focused session that early risk identification and prompt screening are essential for improved outcomes because many liver disorders remain undetected until they reach severe stages.

Faculty members talked about the main causes of liver disease, such as viral hepatitis, alcohol-related liver damage, drug or supplement-induced liver damage, and fatty liver disease associated with metabolic risk factors. Maintaining a healthy weight, managing diabetes and cholesterol, abstaining from needless or unreliable supplements, and adhering to safe alcohol habits were all emphasized in the workshop. The importance of immunization in avoiding hepatitis B and the availability of efficient therapies for hepatitis B and C when detected early were also explained to the participants.

In order to ensure that medical advancements in hepatology were presented in a way that was understandable, practical, and pertinent for the larger community, the organizers reaffirmed their commitment to connecting academic achievement with practical public health effects. The session’s core lesson remained clear: early intervention based on risk can save lives, and liver disease should not be disregarded until symptoms manifest.

Priyanka Dutta