The Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) is a non-profit, organization meeting the educational and scientific needs of nearly 1500 physicians, mainly gastroenterologists and hepatologists, as well as hepato-bilio-pancreatic surgeons, liver transplant surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, oncologists, researchers and basic scientists.
The goal of the association is to promote the discipline of hepatology in India.
Its objectives include:
- Dissemination of knowledge related to hepatobiliary diseases to healthcare providers, basic scientists and lay public.
- Promotion of research in hepatobiliary diseases in relation to pathophysiology, treatment and prevention.
- Development of training programs in the field of hepatology.
The society started as Liver Study Group of India in 1979 with change of name to Indian Association for the Study of the Liver in 1992 and then to Indian National Association for the Study of the Liver popularly known as INASL, to fall in line with international nomenclature for liver associations, with no basic changes in its constitution, bye laws or other features.
The association has grown from strength to strength with contribution from pioneers and stalwarts in Hepatology and now has more than 1500 life members. .
The Association has also instituted several Awards, Orations and Fellowships and several taskforces working in the areas of different liver diseases. Important annual orations and awards of the society include Dr DV Datta Memorial Oration, Dr N Madangopalan Oration, Dr SR Naik memorial Oration, Dr BN Tandon Memorial Oration, INASL-Dr JB Dilawari Award for the Best Published work in Community and Preventive Hepatology.
Academic activities
The society organizes its Annual and 3-4 Single Theme Mid-term Meetings, Webinars, Clinics for Physicians. Also organizes educational activities on World Hepatitis Day, World Liver Day and International MASH Day.
The society is also active in organising joint symposia with several international organizations like AASLD, EASL, APASL etc.
Patient Education Programs
The society organises several liver Education programs for the general public including college students and school children.
INASL also has a ROCCO- Program with Rotary International (INASL and Rotary Combating Childhood Obesity and Fatty Liver)
Journal
INASL has its own official Journal, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology (JCEH) which was launched in March 2011 and has the current Impact factor of 3.3.
Task forces and registries of INASL
- Taskforce on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)
- INASL Registry on MASLD – Indian Consortium on MASLD (ICOM – D) – Ongoing study with more than 11,000 patients till date
- Task Force on Autoimmune Liver Disease (AILD)
- INASL Registry on Autoimmune Liver Disease (AILD)
- Task Force on HBV
- INASL Registry on HBV
- Taskforce on Vascular Liver Disease
- INASL Registry on Vascular Liver Disease (VLD)
- Task Force on Alcohol Related Liver Disease (ALD)
- Taskforce on Cirrhosis and its complications
- Taskforce on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
- Taskforce on Artificial Intelligence
- Taskforce on Endo-hepatology
- Taskforce on Preventive Hepatology
- Taskforce on Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
- Working Party on Acute Liver Failure
- Working Party on Nutrition in Liver Disease
- Working Party on Ascites/AKI
- Working Party on Liver Transplantation
The INASL today is a vibrant body constantly striving to serve the cause of liver diseases, stimulating research work, providing practice guidelines and guiding therapeutic decisions. It holds the Indian Flag aloft in the company of other international liver associations and does it possibly much better than many other national medical associations. INASL also has collaborations with several international organizations like AASLD, EASL, SOLDA etc.
INASL Clinical Practice Guidelines
Over the years, the Journal JCEH has published several Clinical Practice Guidelines / Consensus Statements / Position Statements on –
- ‘Anti-viral Treatment Against HCV Infection
- ‘Status Report of HCV Infection in India’
- ‘Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in India’
- ‘Management of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Patients receiving Chemotherapy, Biologicals, Immunosuppressants, or Corticosteroids’
- ‘Portal Cavernoma Cholangiopathy’
- ‘Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma’
- ‘Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Metabolic Syndrome’
- ‘Hepatic Encephalopathy’, and ‘Wilson’s Disease’
- Nutrition in Liver disease
- HCC Recommendations (Puri Recommendation – 1,2, 3)
- INASL Guidance Paper on NAFLD
- INASL Guidance Paper on PVT.
Young Hepatologists’ Forum
A group of close to 30 young hepatologists of the country work very closely with the Governing Council of INASL in taking on various tasks of the association, including but not limited to looking after the social media, maintaining the INASL website, conducting various workshops and All-India Hepatology Quiz.