Call for Action

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We call for explicit plans by governments, health policy makers at regional level and the WHO to deal with the large and growing burden of musculoskeletal conditions and injuries on individuals and society

 

To sign the Call for Action to Invest in Musculoskeletal Health and Control the Burden of Musculoskeletal Conditions please click here to be forwarded to our e-petition

Considering that:

  • Musculoskeletal health is essential for active working lives and independence throughout the lifecourse
  • Musculoskeletal disorders are common in all countries and cultures
  • Major cause of disability worldwide (second worldwide, first in developed countries)
  • They are a major burden on health and social care
  • They are a major cause of work loss and loss of economic independence
  • The burden is increasing with the ageing of the population, whereas the extending of working lives is increasing the physical demands on individuals and the need for musculoskeletal health.
  • There are effective ways of promoting musculoskeletal health
  • There are effective ways of preventing and controlling musculoskeletal conditions to avoid disability but these are not being implemented with equity
  • There is a current lack of policies and priorities for promoting musculoskeletal health and a lack of investment in prevention, treatment, education and research of musculoskeletal conditions

Call to Action

We call for explicit plans by governments, health policy makers at regional level and the WHO to deal with the large and growing burden of musculoskeletal conditions and injuries on individuals and society through

  • promotion of an active lifestyle that will optimise musculoskeletal health at all ages
  • preventing musculoskeletal disorders and injuries
  • identifying and treating those who are at highest risk
  • access to timely, safe, appropriate patient-centred treatment to control symptoms, and diseases where possible, to prevent unnecessary disability
  • access to appropriate rehabilitation to reduce any disability, including self management
  • enabling people to participate in the labour market
  • research to advance knowledge and care

To see our supporters explore the map below

Global
AO Foundation
Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Associations (APOA)

Fragility Fracture Network of The Bone and Joint Decade (FFN)
Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI)
International League Against Rheumatism (ILAR)
World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT)
World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC)
World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT)
International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS)
International Association for Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care (IATSIC)
World Spine Care
International Federation of Psoriasis Associations
The Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacific (AFPA)
International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations

Individuals
We currently have 669 signatures from individuals across the globe.