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UZ Leuven expert teams granted renewal ERN-accreditation

19 September 2023
Earlier this year the UZ Leuven expert teams that joined the European Rare Disease Reference Networks (ERNs) in 2017 participated in an evaluation of their accreditation as centres of expertise. Following their evaluation, 18 teams can renew their accreditation for five years.
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Continued commitment to care and research

Prof. dr. Gert Van Assche: “The care for patients with rare disorders is an assignment par excellence for a large university such as UZ Leuven. The quality labels the European Reference Networks (ERNs) have awarded us, are a reward for our teams and stimulate us to continue to commit to care and research. Knowledge about and treatment options for rare disorders definitely need to be expanded.”

In order to give every patient with a rare disorder the best possible care, exchanging expertise is crucial. As a university centre, UZ Leuven has been investing in networks in- and outside the hospital for several years. UZ Leuven is part of no less than 22 out of the 24 European Reference Networks for Rare Diseases. As a result of that collaboration, life-saving knowledge and extremely rare cases can be shared and reduces the need for doctors and patients to travel abroad.

The following teams can renew their accreditation for five years:

  1. Endo-ERN: endocrine disorders
  2. ERN EpiCARE: epilepsy
  3. ERKNet: kidney diseases
  4. ERNICA: hereditary and congenital disorders
  5. ERN-LUNG: respiratory disorders
  6. ERN-RND: neurological disorders
  7. EURACAN: solid tumours in adults
  8. ERN-EuroBloodNet: haematological disorders
  9. ERN eUROGEN: urogenital disorders
  10. ERN EURO-NMD: neuromuscular disorders
  11. ERN GENTURIS: genetic cancers
  12. ERN GUARD-Heart: heart diseases
  13. ERN-ITHACA: congenital malformations and rare intellectual and neurodevelopmental disorders.
  14. MetabERN: inherited metabolic disorders
  15. ERN PaedCAN: solid tumours in children
  16. ERN RARE-LIVER: hepatological disorders
  17. ERN-RITA: immunodeficiency, autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases
  18. VASCERN: multisystemic vascular disorders

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Last edit: 20 September 2023