Bone Health Initiative White Papers

More Than Just a Fracture: A Call to Action on Osteoporosis and Bone Health in the Context of Healthy Aging calls for a new approach to osteoporosis diagnosis and for the WHO to drive efforts to update the way in which fragility fractures are identified and therefore how osteoporosis is acted upon globally. In doing so, the WHO — with partners in the bone health and aging spaces — has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of life for tens of millions of people worldwide as they age and reduce the soaring costs to health care systems through more effective attention to osteoporosis-related fragility fractures as an indicator of osteoporosis. The paper calls on the WHO to create a code in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD 11) for osteoporosis-related fragility fractures describing fractures related to deteriorated bone structure.

Healthy Bones for Healthy Aging: How the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) Model Can Leverage Bone Health to Improve Well-Being, Sustain Independence and Support Health Care Financing calls attention to the importance of integrated care for older people in relation to bone health. Integrating bone health into ICOPE can revolutionize how osteoporosis is treated regarding patient outcomes and health care savings. Doing so can also help ensure a person-centered approach to osteoporosis and help prevent millions of primary and secondary fragility fractures – adding healthy life years for every affected older person. The paper outlines that a new strategy to address osteoporosis and bone health through integrated care will help empower healthy and active aging.

Through communications, education, and advocacy, the BHI focuses on aligning 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.

Latest Developments

We keep our members and partners in touch with the most recent updates and opinions in the worldwide dialogue on population longevity and related issues.

Best Practices for Engaging a Multigenerational Workforce

Employers are grappling with a myriad of workforce-related issues ranging from productivity to attracting and retaining talent, but many may be overlooking some seismic shifts that are reshaping the future of work: longevity, population aging, and the multigenerational workforce.

Brazil Must Fight Antibiotic Resistance

The threat posed by antimicrobial resistance is urgent and spares no country - including Brazil. According to The Lancet, 63 deaths per 100,000 are associated with AMR in Brazil and Paraguay, a rate that exceeds the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. AMR-associated deaths in Brazil are second only to cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

More Than Half of Americans are Unfamiliar with Chronic Kidney Disease, Survey Finds

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major blind spot for many Americans, a new survey suggests. The poll, conducted by the Global Coalition on Aging, asked 1,000 American adults about their understanding and perception of CKD. Though many respondents used the internet for medical information and had a regular doctor and blood work done once or twice a year, 58% of respondents said they were unfamiliar with the illness.

We Missed 100 Million Adult Vaccines – Here’s How We Get Back on Track

Like other pandemics throughout human history, COVID-19 has caused profound changes that are still rippling through our societies, even as people are understandably eager to move on. In fact, these impacts are all the more dangerous when they are largely ignored or effectively invisible. The decline in adult vaccination may be one of the most significant, as a new report finds that ~100 million doses were missed in 2021 and 2022 alone – reversing global progress towards widespread adult immunisation as a new standard of care in a world of more old than young.

New Analysis Shows Lost Ground on Adult Immunisation During the Pandemic with 100 Million Doses Potentially Missed

New data shared today by GSK, in collaboration with the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science and the Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA), estimate approximately 100 million fewer doses of some adult vaccines (excluding Covid-19 vaccines) were administered in 2021 and 2022 than anticipated, based on the global vaccination adoption trends observed from 2013 to 2020, compounding already low adoption rates pre-pandemic.

Going Beyond Applause: The Potential of Caregiving to Unlock Job Opportunities of the Future

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of caregivers – staff and family who provide care for older and dependent people to carry out activities such as eating or moving - catapulted to the front of our collective conscience. The daily applause for front-line care workers showed a high level of recognition for their incredible work and provided insight into how our health systems must change as our society ages. We need to continue to recognise caregivers as essential to our ageing society.

High-Level Forum on the Silver Economy 2023

Join us for the High-Level Forum on the Silver Economy 2023. Now in its fourth year, the Silver Economy Forum 2023, December 6 and 7, will explore aging at every stage of life, looking at the growing global Silver Economy through a multigenerational lens. Linking to the goals and aspirations of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, SEF 2023 will highlight key themes at the intersection of aging at every age, and the Silver Economy.