On February 23rd, 2023 the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) announced a collaborative 5-year agreement to develop a strategic roadmap of research and publication deliverables, in recognition of the fact that osteoporosis is a major contributor to the Global Burden of Disease.

The International Osteoporosis Foundation, the leading global organization in the field, has been appointed as the scientific partner by ESCEO and looks forward to working closely on this ground-breaking collaboration with ESCEO and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Conditions and Ageing, in Liège, Belgium, which was previously appointed by WHO as their sole technical advisor in matters concerning musculoskeletal conditions that affect older people, as mandated by the WHO Director-General.

This initiative is expected to lay the groundwork for the prioritization of osteoporosis and fragility fracture prevention within global healthcare policy. View the IOF Press Release

Summary video of the launch on February 23, 2023

The research to be carried out within the framework of the ground-breaking collaboration, includes, among other objectives:

• collecting data on the prevalence and incidence of osteoporosis and fractures for countries and regions around the world
• reviewing evidence on interventions for preventing fracture in older persons to inform guideline development and evidence-informed decision making
• reviewing existing questionnaires for assessing the risk of fractures in older persons in the community and clinical settings

Importantly, WHO will generate a range of high-profile publications, including global health estimates on prevalence and incidence, as well as commentary on interventions for preventing fractures.

This partnership follows the designation of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Conditions and Ageing at Liège as the only institution that technically assists WHO in matters concerning musculoskeletal conditions that affect older people as mandated by the WHO director-general.

"The initiative will serve to promote action on musculoskeletal conditions, in keeping with the goals of the Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030 for concerted, sustained collaboration to improve the lives of the world's older population. We look forward to a productive collaboration in the years ahead."

Precompetitive Consortium on Osteoporosis and Bone Health (PRECCO) 

ESCEO, IOF and the WHO Collaborating Center for Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Health and Ageing (WHO CC) at the University of Liège (Belgium) have announced the creation of the WHO CC IOF ESCEO Precompetitive Consortium on Osteoporosis and Bone Health (PRECCO). The consortium, created in the framework of the 5-year partnership between ESCEO and the World Health Organization to improve the management of osteoporosis, involves all the Organizations and Corporate Entities that place the osteoporotic patient at the center of their priorities.