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Action Week 2006
October 12th - 20th marks the sixth annual Bone and Joint Decade Action Week, dedicating specific days to major conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system, with activities planned in countries around the world aimed at highlighting the severe impact of these disorders on millions of children, adults and elderly people worldwide. Click here to read more.
October 12 - World Arthritis Day
Every year on October 12th people from around the world join together to raise awareness of arthritis, a disease that affects millions of people, both young and old, globally. This year World Arthritis Day spotlights the benefits of exercise for people with arthritis with a campaign theme of "Take Action!" Please go to www.worldarthritisday.org to find out more about World Arthritis Day events near you.
October 16 - World Spine Day
Today, on World Spine Day, which features "Straighten Up" as its theme, health care practitioners around the world are taking advantage of this unique spotlight on the spine to promote spinal health, posture and stabilisation in collaboration with the Bone and Joint Decade. Click here to read more.
Click here for the World Spine Day Posture Pod simple exercise plan which promotes strengthening the core spinal column responsible for correct posture.
October 17 - World Trauma Day
The real human suffering for victims and their families of road trauma is incalculable. The fatality figures themselves seem almost surreal: globally, nearly 1.5 million people die on the roads – that is one person every 30 seconds – and about 50 million more are injured in traffic crashes each year. In low-income countries the average is twice the world average, and sadly, pedestrian injury accounts for 50 percent of this. But the story goes further….as the number of cars on the roads increases, statisticians predict these numbers will increase by an enormous 65% between now and 2020.
Clearly, something must be done, and since its induction the Bone and Joint Decade amongst others, has worked tirelessly with the World Health Organisation and the United Nations to tackle the root causes of road trauma. The 2004 WHO publication World Report or Road Traffic Injury Prevention lays out the problems and proposes solutions. It is hoped that its broad dissemination will lead to greater awareness, effective policy decisions and deeper concern on the part of government for this plague of the technological era. The WHO report can be downloaded from http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2004/infomaterials/world_report/en/summary_en_rev.pdf
October 20 - World Osteoporosis Day
World Osteoporosis Day 2006 is the launch day for the “Year of Bone Nutrition” – highlighting the vital link between good nutrition and strong bones. In recognition of this, the International Osteoporosis Foundation has released a new report entitled
"Bone Appétit: The role of food and good nutrition in building and maintaining strong bones".
"The importance of a nutritious diet with sufficient calcium and vitamin D to build and maintain bone strength has been shown in numerous clinical studies," said Dr Edith Lau, president of the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Foundation and an IOF Board member. "Like any organ in the body, the skeleton needs a constant supply of nutrients to function properly and replenish itself throughout our lives," she said. Calcium and vitamin D, which is essential for assisting calcium absorption and ensuring bone tissue renewal, has been shown to reduce rates of bone loss and also reduces fracture rates in older people.
In addition, the IOF has released a series of public service announcements in which Celebrity Chefs and other famous personalities from countries around the world urge people to take charge of their bone health and eat right to protect against osteoporosis. The chefs have contributed calcium-rich recipes which are available in the IOF’s Bone-Friendly Recipe Database (link) The Bone and Joint Decade is a key partner to the IOF; please see http://www.iofbonehealth.org/about-iof/partnerships/bone-joint-decade.html .
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