The Department of Health has launched a new program to tackle osteoporosis, the condition in which bones become brittle and easier to break.
Announced by the Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, the National Strategic Action Plan for Osteoporosis was unveiled on World Osteoporosis Day, yesterday (17 October).
“The action plan addresses the urgent need for a national strategic response to the challenges and burden of osteoporosis across Australia,” Mr Hunt said.
“It will focus on increased awareness, education and prevention of osteoporosis, including improved diagnosis and management, and care of people with, or at risk of, osteoporosis.”
He said $4 million would be allocated to the program to support the implementation of the plan.
“Of this, $3 million is being released from the Medical Research Future Fund for a pilot project for the Primary Care Fracture Liaison Service aimed at reducing further risk of breaking bones and significantly decreasing the burden of osteoporosis,” Mr Hunt said.
“A total of $500,000 is being provided directly to Osteoporosis Australia, and a further $500,000 will be made available through a competitive grant to assist awareness and education work.”
He said that in 2017-18, more than 1.2 million people self-reported that they had osteoporosis, and it was estimated a further 6.3 million people had low bone density.
“Osteoporosis is more common among women, affecting 6.2 per cent of females compared with 1.5 per cent of males. As with many chronic conditions, osteoporosis is prominent among older Australians, with 86 per cent of people affected being aged 55 years or over,” the Minister said.