European Union Initiatives
The collaboration of the European Commission (EC) and IOF began in 1997 with working group meetings of experts on osteoporosis and the launch of the Report on Osteoporosis in the European Community - Action for Prevention in June 1998 (see blue box below). The EC provided essential financial and practical support for the production, launch and dissemination of materials to promote the Eight Recommendations contained in the report and the European Parliament (EP) played a key role in initiating the report. Because of this strong support - and the dedicated work of people in many countries - the report had a high initial impact as measured by media response, references to the report at meetings and in publications and government action at national level.
Inaugural Report on Osteoporosis in the European Community, 1998
The "Report on Osteoporosis in the European Community. Action for Prevention", published in June 1998, is a landmark publication which catalyzed action on osteoporosis throughout Europe. In addition to providing information on the epidemiology and pathophysiology of osteoporosis, together with important information on risk factors, the report outlined eight specific recommendations for prevention of fractures and for the management of patients with osteoporosis.
In December 2001, IOF published a report auditing policy developments since the publication of the 1998 recommendations. The audit report showed "disappointing progress" since 1998, with a fracture increase of 25% and costs for hospital care alone up by 33%. As a result, IOF helped to initiate the launch of European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group, which issued a Call to action to spur government action against osteoporosis in Europe. The Call to Action, which was enthusiastically supported by the European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne, said that national health authorities and health insurance agencies should pay for diagnosis and treatment of people with osteoporosis risk factors before their first fracture, as is often the procedure for people with risk factors for other serious illnesses, such as heart disease. Download the report: Osteoporosis in the European Community: A Call to Action
In 2002 IOF was awarded a grant from the EC for a policy project entitled Call to Osteoporosis Action. This project brought together policy makers from the European Union and its member states, and osteoporosis experts, to form an EU Osteoporosis Consultation Panel to work on practical, cost effective strategies to improve access to diagnosis and proven therapies before the first fracture. At a meeting in November 2004 the Osteoporosis Consultation Panel members were asked to complete a questionnaire showing indicators of progress in their respective countries. The results of the questionnaire were compiled and published in the report entitled Osteoporosis in Europe: Indicators of Progress in 2005 which also included the outcomes of the meeting.
In the spring of 2006, a joint meeting of the EP Osteoporosis Interest Group and the EU Osteoporosis Consultation Panel was held in Brussels, Belgium at the Bavarian Representation. The event was hosted by Angelika Niebler MEP, co-chair of the EP Osteoporosis Interest Group and Emilia Müller, Bavarian State Minister for European and Federal Affairs. A report of this 4th combined meeting of the two Groups is contained in the publication entitled Osteoporosis in the EU: Improving the Assessment of Fracture Risk. One chapter of the report is a special article on a new initiative, entitled 'Improving the assessment of fracture risk: the WHO approach'. The initiative hopes to improve the identification of patients who should receive osteoporosis treatment, based on a combination of clinical risk factors for fracture rather than DXA values alone.
A new summary report published in 2008 'Osteoporosis in the European Union in 2008: Ten years of progress and ongoing challenges', based on individual country reports submitted by the Consultation Panel representatives, gives an up-to-date picture of osteoporosis management. The report indicates significant progress, but also highlights areas where gaps remain.
