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Programme on bone health sought

NEW DELHI: The Arthritis Foundation of India and the International Osteoporosis Foundation have demanded that the Union Government comes out with a national programme on bone health.

According to an assessment by AFI, India is spending about Rs.2,500 crore annually on the management of osteoporosis alone. Despite being home to about 36 million osteoporosis patients, the country still has very low awareness about detection and prevention of this disease.

Since the cost of prevention is much less than the cost of treatment, the national programme on bone health can create awareness, early detection and treatment to reduce the economic burden on people.

The national programme demands a complete registry at the district and medical college hospitals, promotion of research and advanced studies in bone health and also osteoporosis be given more importance in the medical curriculum.

It seeks to combat arthritis by education and early treatment, introduction of hygienic and well preserved milk in the midday meal programme for improving bone health of school children and a nutrition programme of vitamin D and calcium intake for children and young women.

As an expression of wide support to the cause of demanding a national programme, AFI also released signatures of over 4,000 doctors, bureaucrats, judges, educationists, politicians, sportsmen, actors, media persons and business leaders. Some of the eminent personalities supporting the campaign include Bollywood actors Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Nafisa Ali and Nehpa Dhupia, besides cricketers Virendra Sehwag and Ishant Sharma.

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