Year started: 2022

The Global Coalition on Aging Bone Health Initiative was convened in 2022 to address the importance of bone health on the global public health agenda. Experts project that half a billion people will soon be living with osteoporosis, which weakens their bones and increases the risk of fragility fractures – fractures that occur because of weaker bones. Every 3 seconds, an older adult suffers a fracture, resulting in an estimated 9 million fractures globally every year. Approximately 33 percent of women and 20 percent of men aged 50 and older will experience osteoporosis-related bone fractures. More importantly, we know that individuals who sustain fragility fractures ddare a readily identifiable group at high imminent risk of sustaining second and subsequent fractures.

Objectives

The Initiative aims to leverage the unique window of opportunity presented by the important work of the UN Decade of Healthy Aging to create public awareness among key opinion leaders and policymakers to move the Initiative’s public policy agenda on bone health forward.

Scope

The initiative brings together leading scientists, clinicians, policy experts, advocates, and business leaders with expertise in osteoporosis, aging, and public health to advocate for policy change and healthcare practices in line with 21st-century healthy aging realities to ensure the highest quality of life possible for those with or at risk of osteoporosis and, at the same time, reduce the costly impact of osteoporosis and fragility fractures on our health systems.