Influencing public awareness and education
One of the ways that the National Osteoporosis Society works to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis is through better awareness and education.
Educating young people
The National Osteoporosis Society considers working with young people to be vital for the prevention of osteoporosis in later life. It is important that children start learning about their bones from an early age; the earlier children start making healthy dietary and lifestyle choices, the better the chance of preventing osteoporosis becoming a disease of future generations.
Along with the creation of new resources for young people, we also aim to influence the national curriculum across the UK to ensure it includes bone health messages at both primary and secondary level.
You can find out more about our work with young people by visiting our educational website www.bones4life.org
Further information for professionals working with young people can also be found in the professional section of our website.
Influencing government public health campaigns
Whereas the NHS provides services for people who need healthcare, public health is about helping people to stay healthy and prevent illness. The National Osteoporosis Society works to influence public health campaigns delivered in all four UK countries, so that they reflect our own messaging on the steps needed to build and maintain healthy bones. As part of this work, we liaise with NHS Choices, Change4life and Health Challenge Wales.
From April 2013, public health services in England will be the responsibility of local authorities, co-ordinated by Public Health England. Councils will be able to choose which health priorities they tackle from a menu set out by the UK Government in the Public Health Outcomes Framework. This menu includes indicators on hip fractures in people over the age of 65 and falls and fall injuries in people over the age of 65.
Councils will have the option to work with the NHS through Health and Wellbeing Boards to reduce local hip fracture rates. Fracture Liaison Services (FLSs) are proven to prevent fragility fractures and produce net cost-savings for the NHS and local authorities where they are in place.
The full Public Health Outcomes Framework document can be accessed here.