Global & regional osteoporosis alliance stages third annual meeting

Members of the Asia Pacific Fragility Fracture Alliance (APFFA) Joint Steering Committee (JSC) congregated for their third biannual member meeting on Sunday, May 31, 2020.

The 14 JSC participants, representing APFFA’s seven global and regional member organisations from the geriatrics, orthopaedics, osteoporosis and rehabilitation sectors, engaged in healthy, collaborative dialogue and debate throughout the two-hour long ‘virtual’ meeting.

Agenda topics ranged from the development of strategic communications and collateral, to APFFA’s strategic plan and progress reports from those leading the organisation’s three working groups.

Hip Fracture Registry Working Group (HFRWG) Co-chair, Fragility Fracture Network representative and meeting participant, Professor Jacqui Close, Australia said: “It is a privilege, and both inspiring and humbling to witness, and be a part of, an alliance dedicated to facilitating policy change, improving awareness and changing political and professional mindsets to drive optimal fragility fracture management in the region.”

International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) President, Prof Cyrus Cooper, UK, who also joined the virtual meeting, reflected on APFFA’s purpose and achievements over the past year, stating “APFFA is an innovative initiative that mobilises representatives across disciplines, into swift, collaborative and effective action. The IOF is delighted to support APFFA’s three Working Groups, to ensure significant improvements for those who sustain fragility fractures in the Asia Pacific region.”

Since its formation in November 2018, APFFA has:

• Developed a plethora of communication materials;
• Launched and maintained a website and LinkedIn channel;
• Produced educational materials for primary care physicians and patients, and submitted abstracts to international and regional conferences via its Education Working Group;
• Performed two systematic reviews focusing on the epidemiology of hip fractures and associated mortality and outcomes across the Asia Pacific region, involving the screening of more than 10,000 articles (Hip Fracture Registry Working Group); and
• Commenced two studies – the Global Burden of Hip Fracture study and a sprint audit of acute and post-acute hip fracture management in Asia Pacific, commissioned by APFFA’s Evidence Generation Working Group in collaboration with Amgen.

APFFA co-Chairs, Dato’ Dr. Joon-Kiong Lee, Malaysia and Prof Derrick Chan, Taiwan, concluded the alliance’s third biannual meeting with words of encouragement for all APFFA members who are working hard in their respective countries, despite the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We look forward to many more productive meetings, as APFFA continues to fulfill its mission to promote multidisciplinary collaboration and policy change, and drive best practice through the three clinical pillars of acute care, rehabilitation and secondary prevention of fragility fractures,” said Dato’ Dr. Lee.

To stay up to date with APFFA’s progress in driving policy change, improving awareness and changing mindsets to optimise fragility fracture management in Asia Pacific, follow us on LinkedIn – asia-pacific-fragility-fracture-alliance.