Poor Status Of Post-Fracture Care And Osteoporosis Management In Eastern Europe And Central Asia Of Concern

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has issued a report - 'Eastern European & Central Asian Regional Audit - Epidemiology, Costs & Burden of Osteoporosis in 2010' - revealing the serious problem of osteoporosis in 21 nations in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, including Russia. The report explains how poor post-fracture care status and osteoporosis management in the region is.


John Kanis, President of the IOF is calling for immediate actions. He urges stakeholders in the region to get together and improve access to osteoporosis treatment and diagnosis. He added that the improvement in standards of fracture care are urgently needed.


The key findings of the Audit Report reveal the magnitude of the problem in the region, including:
Significant increase in numbers of elderly and hence in fragility fractures expected for most countries in the coming decades
No set standards of care and lack of modern surgical treatment of patients after hip fracture in many countries, resulting in widespread disability and high death rates
Lack of epidemiological data on fractures and scientific research in the field of osteoporosis in many countries
Lack of official government-approved national guidelines on osteoporosis and no formal fragility fracture registries in many countries
Vitamin D status and average daily calcium intake far below the WHO recommendations in most countries
In countries without reimbursement for drug therapy, treatment remains out of reach for a majority of the population

Preliminary findings from the report were first presented at the IOF Summit of Eastern Europe and Central Asian Osteoporosis Patient Societies in St. Petersburg, September 2010. National patient and medical societies attending the Summit discussed how the Audit report could be effectively used as a tool to advance advocacy efforts in their countries, raise public and health professional awareness of the disease, and stimulate research on osteoporosis and its burden in the region.



The report includes projections and data for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Russia, Tajikstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. It can be downloaded on the IOF website (here.)



Source:

L. Misteli


International Osteoporosis Foundation