The Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (JGH) was first published in January 1986. The founding editors were pioneers in the development of gastroenterology and hepatology in the Asia‐Pacific region and included Professors Kunio Okuda (Japan), S‐K Lam (Hong Kong), David Shearman (Australia), and Lawrie Powell (Australia). They not only provided an academic base for JGH but also became a cohesive group of leaders for Asian gastroenterology. This fulfilled the unofficial but important task of creating a regional fraternity of physicians interested in addressing important problems related to gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
The idea of a foundation to support gastroenterology and hepatology came several years later after much discussion between the editors of JGH and Blackwell Science Publishing, the publishers of JGH. As a result, the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation (JGHF) was formed in 2002 and became a part owner of JGH along with Blackwell Science Publishing (subsequently Wiley‐Blackwell and now Wiley). The aim of the Foundation was the advancement of medicine, medical research, education, and training in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology, within the Asia Pacific region in order to improve medical practice and health.
The inaugural chairman of the JGHF was Professor Geoffrey Farrell (Australia, 2002–2008). Subsequent chairmen were Professor Neville Yeomans (Australia, 2008–2012), Professor KL Goh (Malaysia, 2012–2016) and Professor Ian Roberts‐Thomson (Australia, 2016–present). The secretariat for JGHF is currently based in Melbourne with links to the Gastroenterological Society of Australia. Members of the current Board include Professors Rakesh Aggarwal (India), Peter Gibson (Australia), Ji‐Dong Jia (China), Jia‐Horng Kao (Taiwan), Yong Chan Lee (Korea), and Benjamin Wong (Hong Kong).
The most recent joint venture between JGHF and Wiley has been the establishment of this new online journal, JGH Open. The founding editor (Professor KL Goh) and a small Editorial Board have been appointed and the first issue was published 2 months ago. The major aim was the creation of an additional journal for publication of articles that had scientific merit but just failed to meet criteria for inclusion in JGH or other similar journals. Both Wiley and JGHF are working hard for JGH Open to be included in medical databases such as PubMed and for the journal to develop an impact factor that is attractive for authors. JGH Open can be accessed free of charge and, at present, publication costs for most authors have been waived until the journal has been clearly established as a desirable place for submission of manuscripts. In the long term, we anticipate that JGH Open, like other online publications, will be profitable because of the publication charges paid by authors.
Currently, JGHF has two sources of funds: one is a share in the profits of JGH and the second is a return on managed investments in shares and other financial entities. These returns have increased in recent years and have enabled the Foundation to expand its support for the Asia‐Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) and to initiate support for other educational and research activities. These activities are summarized as follows:
Support for APDW
JGHF has been a sponsor for several activities including the Okuda and Marshall‐Warren lectures that recognize individuals who have made substantial contributions in the fields of hepatology and gastroenterology, respectively. In addition, there is sponsorship for two emerging leaders (age < 45 years) with promising careers in either gastroenterology or hepatology. These sponsorship arrangements include an honorarium as well as reimbursement for airfares and accommodation. There are also travel grants that enable younger clinicians and scientists to attend APDW with a bias towards those who come from developing countries. A recent initiative, introduced at APDW 2015 in Taipei, is the Young Clinical Investigator Program that provides recipients of travel grants with a 1‐day course focused on developing and publishing medical research. This course has been organized by Professor Rakesh Aggarwal and has been highly rated by the participants.
Support outside APDW
The Foundation has been pleased to support a number of other research and educational activities. These include a joint Fellowship with the Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology (APAGE) that provides funds to enable a young clinical or basic science research person to study for 12 months in an international (host) center. Short‐term fellowships are also available for younger individuals to develop technical or research skills that will facilitate clinical or research projects in their country of origin. Another initiative is support for Consensus Meetings and Clinical Practice Guideline Meetings on topics relevant to gastroenterology and hepatology in Asia. Recent examples include topics such as inflammatory bowel disease, non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, treatment of Helicobacter pylori, and dietary management of gastrointestinal disorders.
Overview
In the recent years, the Foundation has been in a financial position to increase its support for a variety of initiatives that contribute to the development of gastroenterology and hepatology in the Asia Pacific region. These initiatives have been directed at increasing support for APDW as well as increasing support for other activities such as regional meetings that address important clinical practice issues such as those described above. In the foreseeable future, JGHF seems likely to continue to support the above programs including the development of JGH Open, perhaps with greater emphasis on clinical programs in low and low‐middle income countries.