OSTEORUS participates at the "NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FAIR" under the auspices of the Yaroslavl Regional Citizens’ Forum
Osteoporosis Patients Society OSTEORUS, affiliated with the Russian Osteoporosis Association (RAOP), has been participating in the NonProfit Organizations Fair of the Citizens’ Forum of the Yaroslavl region since 2017. It is an excellent venue to begin World Osteoporosis Day outreach and to raise the profile of osteoporosis within the community and among other not-for-profit organizations.
On 25.08.2023 the XIX main forum of the region's public for NGOs under the motto "Civil Society: responsibility, service, unity" took place. Organizers: Department of Public Relations of the Government of Yaroslavl, Regional Public Chamber, Autonomous Nonprofit Organizations and Civic Initiatives Support Resource Center, P.G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University.
OSTEORUS volunteers included co-chair and public figure Galina Evstifeeva, member of the Union of Journalists of Russia Victoria Sotskova, editor-in-chief of the Russian network edition "First National", and candidate of medical sciences Anna Nazarova, rheumatologist of the Regional Treatment and Diagnostic Center of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis at the Emergency Hospital named after N.V.Solovyov. They told the participants of the forum about the basics of disease prevention, conducted the IOF one-minute osteoporosis risk test, informed about the World Osteoporosis Day , which is marked annually on October 20, and the activities of the public within the framework of this global action. This year's theme suggested by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is "Build Better Bones". Every year IOF provides the organizations all over the world with valuable resources on educating the people about osteoporosis - this serious quiet disease.
The OSTEORUS stand provided various free leaflets created with the recommendations of IOF, OSTEORUS and RAOP on the prevention of the disease, examples of exercises to maintain physical activity for many years and the recommendations of vitamin D and mineral Ca in foods, etc.
Visitors were shown calendars that OSTEORUS has been producing since 2015 with the help of RAOP. They consist of drawings of the winners of the children's creative competition since 2014 and recommendations of experts on preventing the disease from early years. The theme of the contest is different every year and is consonant with the motto of the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
The Russian experience of educating children about osteoporosis and, through them, adults in families is very meaningful. This approach expands the audience and shapes a healthy lifestyle, physical activity and a culture of bone-healthy nutrition from childhood.
Representatives of several NPOs invited OSTEORUS to deliver lectures on osteoporosis prevention to their audiences at their sites. Patients' society activists organize awareness-raising events every year across the country in cooperation with RAOP specialists. They involve doctors, nurses, students of medical universities and colleges. That is why this year Daria Sopetina, a representative of the Yaroslavl State Medical University, together with volunteers of OSTEORUS and RAOP took part in the Citizens’ Forum.
The organizers of the forum acknowledged the work of the OSTEORUS volunteers with a letter of thanks signed by the Chairman of the Public Chamber of the Yaroslavl Region, Sergey Solovyov, and the Director of the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Resource Center", Elena Isaeva.
