Barcelona, world capital for osteoarthritis

The Osteoarthritis Task Force was held on 17, 18 and 19 October in Barcelona.

Nowadays, osteoarthritis and other joint pains are seen as ailments of the elderly. However, increasing life expectancy has meant that more and more people of different ages and sexes are affected by the disease. Today, around 57 million people suffer from symptomatic osteoarthritis in the United States and Europe. In addition, asymptomatic patients could be as high as 30%.

On 17, 18 and 19 October the Osteoarthritis Task Force was held in Barcelona, a meeting of the main patient associations in the United States, Latin America and Europe. The meeting was an initiative coordinated by OAFI (Osteoarthritis Foundation International) and the Arthritis Foundation, in which the Pan-American league of Rheumatology Associations (PANLAR) and the Spanish Rheumatology League (LIRE)) also participated. These associations form a working group that coordinates to defend the patient at a global level..

It is estimated that there are seven million osteoarthritis patients in Spain and it is the leading cause of permanent disability and the third leading cause of temporary incapacity for work. The average annual cost of osteoarthritis of the knee and hip to the Spanish National Health System is 4,738 million euros. And despite these figures and its enormous social impact, osteoarthritis remains an unknown and distant disease for the majority of the population. At OAFI, we work on the treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis to improve patients’ joint health through non-pharmacological measures. We want to promote a life full of mobility, with healthy joints and help health professionals and the administration to improve the quality of life of patients with joint problems.

The PRESIDENT of OAFI, Dr. Josep Vergés and the PRESIDENT of the Arthritis Foundation, Ann Palmer, WORK together IN the OA Task Force.  IMAGE taken at the meeting held at the Conselleria de SaluT DE LA Generalitat