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Australia aims to make musculoskeletal health global priority

09 July 2021 | News

Conditions like low back pain, arthritis under-prioritised

image credit- shutterstock

image credit- shutterstock

A global team of researchers has mapped the landscape for the prevention and management of musculoskeletal conditions - the world's leading cause of pain, disability and healthcare expenditure - and developed a blueprint.

The team has found that despite being the world’s leading cause of pain, disability and healthcare expenditure, the prevention and management of musculoskeletal health, including conditions such as low back pain, fractures, arthritis and osteoporosis, is globally under-prioritised and have devised an action plan to address this gap. 

In response to a targeted call by the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health (G-MUSC) headquartered at the University of Sydney in Australia, an international team of researchers has mapped the current global landscape for the prevention and management of musculoskeletal health, identified current trends in national health policies and developed a blueprint to prioritise musculoskeletal health reform efforts in eight key areas.

Project lead, Professor Andrew Briggs from Curtin University, Australia said more than 1.5 billion people lived with a musculoskeletal condition in 2019, which was 84 per cent more than in 1990, and despite many ‘calls to action’ and an ever-increasing ageing population, health systems continue to under-prioritise these conditions and their rehabilitation requirements. 

The work will now be considered by agencies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and shared widely across countries, organisations and disciplines to integrate musculoskeletal health with other health reform initiatives. 

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