The Bone and Joint Decade 2010 and Beyond

The Bone and Joint Decades : 2010 and Beyond - an Unfinished Business

Ester Z. Gonzales-Penserga, MD

(Lecture given on the occasion of the 2010 Philippine Orthopedic Society Annual Meeting)

The Bone and Joint Decade (BJD) is a global movement,  proclaimed by the World Health Organization declaring that the first ten years of the 21^st century be directed at bringing awareness to bone and joint diseases, their effects on the individual and society and to encourage research in the field, aiming at the widest spectrum of issues, from medical education, lay and patient concerns on treatment, self help programs and advocacy. All sectors of society, including government was encouraged to adapt and participate through voluntary and innovative efforts to bring BJD goals to reality in the unique settings of each nation and its people.

The Philippines responded to the call, with five specialty organizations, namely, the Philippine Rheumatology Association, Philippine Association of Rehabilitation Medicine, Arthritis Foundation, Osteoporosis Society of the Philippines Foundation, Inc. and the Philippine Orthopedic Association,  forming the Philippine Council for the Bone and Joint Decade (PCBJD) in the year 2000. The collective work resulted in the Philippine government’s recognition of the BJD on July 5, 2004 through Presidential Proclamation 657 declaring the Bone and Joint Decade in the Philippines. It became the 54th government worldwide to recognize the BJD initiative.

 The PCBJD started yearly nationwide awareness programs since its inception in 2000. Major cities in the country – Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City soon actively initiated public awareness campaigns with mass media and local government participation. The In-office Exercise program, 3pm Banat Buto, a major output, was introduced to big government and private offices for integration into their health programs. The PCBJD, likewise, got involved in launching the Road Trauma Prevention program, which was presented to the Metro Manila Development Authority. In these different projects, patient groups and pharmaceutical companies helped. The PCBJD was likewise represented in international meetings of the BJD, together with patient representatives. Abroad, similar projects materialized, notably, educational materials of Japan using the “manga” comics concept, the Netherlands’ project on improving medical curriculum on the diseases, Canada’s on line programs on exercises, among others. More than 100 governments worldwide have declared the BJD in their respective countries.

 2010 marks the last year of the first decade of the BJD. For all the good intentions and the cohesive work done by the PCBJD, we see so much work still needs to be done, and issues to be pursued. Similar to other member countries, including developed nations, engagement with government should be optimized. The Philippine public health priority still hinges on infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Muskuloskeletal diseases rank low in priority. Sustaining the programs that have been started, finding funds with which to embark on landmark researches on musculoskeletal diseases, are among the unfinished work. Despite these odds, we in the PCBJD will present and turn over to the next generation of advocates these programs to pursue, and build upon, so that the Filipino patient with bone and joint diseases can be fully managed and served.