In the last few decades, the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased. For some time IBD was known as a disease of the Western world, however, more recent data suggest a rapid increase in IBD incidence in the Eastern part of the world. This is most likely related to industrialisation and the adoption of Westernised diet and lifestyle in the East

Ulcerative colitis is a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease. This lifelong condition is characterized by inflamed colonic mucosa. Clinically it manifests with flares and remissions. Disease incidence increased in the last 20 years. The condition is more prevalent in the northern, more industrialized parts of the world.