At the Peggy Lillis Foundation, we believe that ending the C. diff epidemic requires more than domestic effort — it demands global collaboration. That’s why we were proud to partner with GARDP (the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership) and their REVIVE platform to host a live international webinar on March 13, 2026: Current Developments in Clostridioides difficile Prevention, Therapy, and R&D.

The response exceeded our expectations — in the best possible way.

What Happened

The webinar brought together four leading experts in C. diff research and care: Dr. Benedikt Huttner of the World Health Organization, Dr. Paul Feuerstadt of Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Kerrie Davies of the University of Leeds, and Professor Mark Wilcox, also of the University of Leeds. PLF’s own CEO, Christian John Lillis, served as moderator.

Topics covered included the global epidemiology of C. diff and WHO priorities for prevention, the pathophysiology of infection and treatment options, advances in diagnosis, and the pipeline of new therapies in development.

The program was broadcast live with an interactive Q&A — giving attendees around the world a chance to engage directly with the speakers.

The Numbers Tell a Story

381 people registered for the webinar. 145 tuned in live. Those registrations came from 67 countries, with attendees representing 28 countries on the day of the event.

The top 10 countries by registration were: USA, UK, Nigeria, Canada, India, Switzerland, Germany, South Africa, France, and Ireland. The top 10 countries represented in the live audience were: USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Nigeria, France, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and Greece.

Let that sink in: a webinar about a disease that most Americans still haven’t heard of drew participants from nearly a third of the world’s nations.

Of the 39 attendees who completed our post-event survey, the content received a score of 9.4 out of 10 and the execution a 9.1 out of 10 — both above GARDP’s typical average. The written feedback was equally encouraging:

“Excellent talks. Thanks!”

“The presentation was great and really caught my attention.”

“Wonderful group of speakers.”

And then there was this comment — the one that reminded us exactly why we do this work:

“Patient with recurring C. diff who has taken VOWST. I live in very rural America, specifically NE Oregon. Thanks for allowing me to listen to this presentation!”

That is the whole point. Someone managing a serious, recurring infection in a rural corner of the country — watching the world’s leading researchers present the latest science, live. That’s access. That’s what partnership makes possible.

Why This Matters

C. diff does not respect borders. It is a problem in high-income countries with advanced healthcare systems. It is an underreported and underdiagnosed problem in low- and middle-income countries where antibiotic stewardship programs are still developing and surveillance infrastructure is limited. The global reach of this webinar reflects the global scale of the challenge.

GARDP’s REVIVE platform exists specifically to advance research and education around antibiotic-resistant infections — making it a natural partner for PLF. Together, we were able to bring a world-class scientific program to a worldwide audience, at no cost to participants.

Looking Ahead

This webinar is one part of PLF’s broader commitment to building international partnerships and bringing the best available science to patients, caregivers, and clinicians everywhere. Our 2025–2026 Strategic Plan specifically emphasizes partnerships and program expansion in the United States and abroad.

We are deeply grateful to GARDP and REVIVE for making this collaboration possible, to the speakers who gave their time and expertise, and to everyone who registered and attended — especially those who joined from thousands of miles away.

The fight against C. diff is global. So is our community.

You can find the speakers’ slides and more information at the REVIVE webinar page.