AECOSAR and PFO Policy Manifesto

On the occasion of World Osteoporosis Day the Platform for the Prevention of Osteoporosis Fractures (PFO) , of which AECOSAR is an institutional partner, has just published a Manifesto with the purpose of urging to the Governments and the Administration so that fractures due to osteoporosis become a priority in the different health policies and strategies in Spain.

The Manifesto includes the main demands regarding the prevention and approach to fragility fractures of the PFO. It establishes several strategic lines among which are:

1. Include and prioritize fragility fractures in Health Strategies and Plans.
2. Promote fall and fracture prevention programs during old age.
3. Implement clinical practice guidelines so that they outline a 'roadmap' for the most appropriate diagnosis, treatment and follow-up in people with a previous fracture.
4. Bet on scientific research.
5. Create fracture records at the national level and by autonomous communities.
6. Improve coordination between the different levels of care.
7. Expand the number of Fracture Coordination Units or FLS.
8. Promote the role of Primary Care in all stages of the care process.
9. Create counseling and training programs necessary for patients and families.
10. Involve the entire society as a whole through awareness and sensitization campaigns.

“This Manifesto puts at the center of the system both patients with osteoporosis and who have suffered a fragility fracture as a result of this pathology, as well as their closest environment. It allows us to internalize that people affected by fragility fractures also live with pain, decreased mobility, and even a higher degree of dependency. In that sense, it is a necessity and a priority to continue working on the development of policies and resources that allow us to cover the main unmet needs of patients and families,” declares Remedios Martel, coordinator of the PFO.

Fragility fractures are one of the most common consequences of osteoporosis, a chronic and progressive disease suffered by more than 3 million Spaniards and which causes bones to become more porous, fragile and, as a consequence, more prone to fracture. .

It is estimated that in Spain a fragility fracture occurs every two minutes due to osteoporosis, that is, a total of 330,000 fractures per year. An incidence that is increasing due to the progressive aging of the population, in fact, an increase of around 30% in the number of fragility fractures is estimated by the year 2034, reaching 370,000 cases annually.

 READ Here: https://www.aecosar.es/la-pfo-reclama-que-las-fracturas-por-fragilidad-se-conviertan-en-una-prioridad-de-salud-publica/