CAM is a voluntary self-help and non-governmental organisation for people with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis. It was founded in 1989 by coeliacs themselves to promote the welfare of coeliacs in Malta.
Membership is open to those who have been medically diagnosed. The association offers help and advice, and provides useful information about the condition and the gluten free diet to newly diagnosed persons. It offers on-going support and advice to members and their families and provides dietary guidelines to help improve the quality of life of coeliacs.
The association endeavours to generate greater awareness on coeliac disease and, from time to time, organises conferences, seminars and talks. Social activities for members and their families are also organised regularly.
Contact with members is also maintained through newsletters that are issued approximately every two months and are forwarded to members either by post or by email.
The association’s main concerns today are:
- The myth that following a gluten-free diet is beneficial to everyone
- The local generic lack of understanding between the needs of coeliacs who have to follow a strict gluten free diet for life and those who, for various reasons, opt to follow a gluten free diet as a ‘fad’. Whereas cross-contamination has no ill effects on the ‘fad’ eaters, a single gluten-containing crumb may cause a coeliac to be seriously ill
- The generic non-implementation of the Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 legislation to safeguard all those who suffer as a result of allergens, including coeliacs
This legislation became operative in the EU in December 2014 but little has been done on the local scene to implement it.
Coeliac Association Malta maintains effective contact with the local health authorities, as well as with coeliac societies worldwide. It is also a member of the Association of European Coeliac Societies (AOECS) and Coeliac Youth of Europe (CYE).