News Release

Singapore is site of new IOF Asia Pacific Regional office

Opening address by Senior Minister Professor Jayakumar; focus on impact of osteoporosis in Singapore

Business Announcement

International Osteoporosis Foundation

Today, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) celebrated the opening of its new regional office for the Asia Pacific region, in Singapore. The well attended media event at the Raffles City Convention Centre featured an opening address by Guest of Honour, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Professor S. Jayakumar.

"As the only non governmental organization dedicated to the global fight against osteoporosis, we are developing a comprehensive regional programme to better serve our member patient and medical societies in Asia." said IOF CEO Patrice McKenney. She outlined the work of IOF and its choice of Singapore as the ideal location for the new IOF Asia-Pacific Regional Office.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease which results in debilitating fractures that have serious repercussions for patients, their caregivers, and for health care systems all over the world. IOF President Professor John A. Kanis reviewed the key findings of the 'Asian Audit', a landmark IOF report which revealed the immense burden of osteoporosis and related fractures in Asia. The report estimated that by 2050 half of the world's hip fractures due to osteoporosis will occur in the region.

The importance of healthy bones for healthy ageing was discussed by guest speaker Dr Shyamala Thilagaratnam, Director for Healthy Ageing Division, Health Promotion Board of Singapore. She stressed that prevention strategies are of utmost importance given Singapore's rapidly ageing population.

The media event was held in coordination with the Osteoporosis Society of Singapore (OSS) and the Endocrine and Metabolic Society of Singapore (EMSS). Vice President of the EMSS, Dr. Manju Chandran, spoke about the serious burden of the disease in Singapore where hip fracture incidence has risen 5-fold among women since the 1960s. Prof. Lau Tang Ching, President of the OSS, focused on the organization's important efforts to raise awareness about the disease. A personal view of the disease's impact on day-to-day life was offered by Mr. Charlie Daniel, a patient who related his experience with osteoporosis.

Staff of the new IOF Asia-Pacific Regional office is already gearing up for an important event - the IOF Regionals-1st Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting to take place in Singapore from December 10-12, 2010. The meeting, which will include a Patient Forum and Healthy Bones Event at Esplanade Park, is expected to draw up to 1,000 health professionals to Singapore.

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ABOUT IOF

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to the worldwide fight against osteoporosis, the disease known as "the silent epidemic". IOF's members – committees of scientific researchers, patient, medical and research societies and industry representatives from around the world – share a common vision of a world without osteoporotic fractures. IOF now represents 195 societies in 93 locations around the world. http://www.iofbonehealth.org


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