MINISTER of HEALTH OFFICALLY SUPPORTS OSTEOPOROSIS WEEK

A major advance for bone health has been achieved as, for the first time, the Ministry of Health of Russia, in accordance with the Plan of regional thematic activities to prevent diseases and support healthy lifestyles, declared the week from 16 to 22 of October as Osteoporosis Prevention Week (in honor of World Osteoporosis Day on October 20).

On October 20th, the public in most countries of the world celebrates World Osteoporosis Day, this year under the motto "Build Better Bones". The goal is to attract the attention of the public, government leaders, and politicians to the problem of osteoporosis in order to ensure timely prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this “silent” disease.

World Osteoporosis Day was first celebrated in 1999 on the initiative of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO). In Russia it has been held since 2005 on the initiative of the Russian Association on Osteoporosis   (RAOP), which was established in 1995. Since 2001, a society of patients, the All-Russian Public Movement "Life without Fractures", OSTEORUS, has been operating. The President of the Russian Association on Osteoporosis is Dr. Olga Lesnyak; the Vice-President of  RAOP and Head of the patient society OSTEORUS is Dr. Olga Ershova. The second vice-president is Dr. Ksenia Belova, who is also the coordinator of the IOF Capture the Fracture® Program in Russia.

Osteoporosis is a common disease characterized by a decrease in bone density and quality, leading to an increased risk of fractures. The disease develops mainly in older people and is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality. To prevent the development of osteoporosis and fractures, it is necessary to take preventive measures from childhood: eat calcium-rich food, avoid vitamin D deficiency, be physically active, fight risk factors (smoking, alcohol abuse, etc.), undergo timely examinations, including using the FRAX computerized fracture risk assessment tool, and immediately start treatment under the guidance of a doctor when osteoporosis is diagnosed.

The commitment and extensive activities of the professional organization of doctors of RAOP and the patient organization OSTEORUS for almost 30 years has not been in vain - they have managed to draw the attention of the authorities to this serious problem. Now, in 2023 for the first time, the Ministry of Health of Russia, in accordance with the Plan of regional thematic activities to prevent diseases and support healthy lifestyles, has declared the week from 16 to 22 of October as Osteoporosis Prevention Week (in honor of the World Osteoporosis Day on October 20).

The corresponding letter was sent to the heads of the subjects of the Russian Federation signed by the Head of the Ministry of Health of Russia Mikhail Murashko. The letter of the Head of the Ministry of Health notes: "...Formation of a healthy lifestyle of the population, prevention and control of non-infectious diseases is one of the urgent cross-sectoral problems of the internal policy of the Russian Federation, which is reflected in the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 7, 2018 № 204 entitled "On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024."

The medical, social and economic damage caused by the early development of chronic non-communicable diseases determines the importance of protecting and improving the health of the working population. The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation is taking a number of measures to combat risk factors in order to reduce mortality among the working-age population and increase the life expectancy of our citizens. In order to improve the effectiveness of these efforts, the Russian Ministry of Health has additionally developed a Plan of regional thematic events on disease prevention and support for healthy lifestyles, the implementation of which will continue in 2023.

Prof. O.M. Lesniak has stated: "Every year the members of the Association hold events on osteoporosis prevention in different parts of Russia to raise awareness of this insidious disease. We are so pleased that the Ministry of Health appreciated our initiatives and integrated the problem of osteoporosis into the general prevention system. It means that we have not been doing our work in vain for so many years."

Prof. O.B. Ershova, added: "On the basis of OSTEORUS a Coordination Center for Osteoporosis Day has been created, which annually prepares recommendations for the Day, using numerous valuable resources of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). For example, we hold a children's drawing contest and we summarize the results and collect the best practices. Among the many initiatives included are work with children's audiences, compiling a calendar of the best children's drawings and recommendations of specialists, an international business card of the society, involvement of other public organizations in carrying out preventive activities, and expanding the audience for education. This includes lectures in labor collectives, kindergartens and schools, colleges and universities. This year, OSTEORUS activists integrated lectures on healthy lifestyles that are beneficial for bone health into the theme of the Year of the Teacher and Mentor announced in Russia. We continue to improve our educational work with the community."

The more than 55 events and campaigns related to World Osteoporosis Day 2023 which have been held throughout the country are listed on the IOF World Osteoporosis Day global map of events.