What we’ve achieved
HPP established five building blocks of an effective policy response to the challenge posed by osteoporosis and fragility fractures. We started with desk research and assembled a Working Group and Parliamentary Forum of European experts and policymakers. The groups met at two round-table events in 2019, in London and Brussels, to discuss the research and develop a policy toolkit. HPP also interviewed a range of experts, including carer representatives, healthcare professionals and healthy ageing advocates.
This work culminated in Osteoporosis and fragility fractures: a policy toolkit, with a call to action for policymakers working at the European, national and regional levels. The toolkit includes case studies of best practice, supporting resources for policymakers and ten individual country profiles: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and the UK. HPP also produced a video to support the launch of the toolkit, featuring experts from the project’s Working Group and Parliamentary Forum.
We created infographics and social media content for each of the ten countries, produced in the local language, to help promote the work.
Following the launch of the policy toolkit, several of the experts involved agreed to become members of a new Osteoporosis and Fragility Fracture Policy Network. HPP runs the secretariat, including the dedicated website, and has led events such as a policy round table and a pre-recorded symposium session at the virtual World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO-IOF-ESCEO 2020).
In 2021, we developed new country profiles and infographics for four additional countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece and Portugal.