Creating Solutions in Endometriosis: Global Collaboration through the World Endometriosis Research Foundation

Abstract

Endometriosis affects an estimated 176 million women worldwide during the prime years of their lives. Yet many clinical questions remain unanswered, treatment failures are common, and there is little investment in investigating disease mechanisms. The World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF) has been created to provide a global platform where resources and intelligence are pooled to enable international collaboration in order to find answers so that treatments for endometriosis can be improved and prevention can become reality in future generations of women. WERF is now working with 30 centres in 19 countries conducting prospective studies investigating the impact of endometriosis, disease predictability, and personal and societal cost. (Journal of Endometriosis 2010; 2: 3–6)