European and national leaders and health and labour experts meet in Brussels to launch national action plans on musculoskeletal diseases.

-Lech Walesa, former President of Poland, has been appointed Ambassador of Fit for Work

– must fight globally to improve the lives of those living – and work – with pain. But only a coordinated action at national level will help to ensure that these workers are integrated fully into society, including the maintenance of their jobs, for those who have fought so hard ”

Brussels, 2011-October the past Wednesday 19 gathered in Brussels politicalpatients and experts in health and labour of the Fit Coalition for Work Europe to add their voices to the associations of patients from all over Europe in order to reduce the economic burden of annual spending from 240 billion euros in musculoskeletal diseases for European society.

Lech Walesa, former President of Poland and recently appointed Ambassador of the project Fit for Work, has been one of the attendees at the III Conference annual Fit for Work. More than 100 million Europeans suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain. Of these, more than 40 million are workers, 40% of whom have had to leave his job because of his pathology. This is unacceptable in the 21st century, when matters as simple as early and coordinated intervention at the national level can improve the lives of these people ”.

The Conference of the project Fit for Work Europe had also stressed the importance of the latest research showing the impact of Diseases Musculoskeletal in Europe’s largest population, a group also threatened by rising levels of unemployment.

In Europe, these diseases are responsible for almost half (49%) in the EU. Éstas permanent labour and 60 per cent of disabilities work absences, and other socio-economic consequences of not having a State of health adequate due to musculoskeletal pain, they represent a cost estimate for the European society of up 240 billion euros.

A truly effective policy and practical changes at the national level will be only the result of the unification of evidence in the management of such diseases. In particular, the plan of action on musculoskeletal pathologies must:

-give priority to tackling these diseases on public national systems, along with other pathologies of type chronic.

-assign the appropriate funding for the diagnosis early and treatments.

-set the stay at work ” as a measure success in handling these clinic diseases.

-support the inclusion of labour productivity (e.g., social costs) in the assessment of the economic health and technology health.

Now know that the EU, through its institutional support to the activities of the Fit for Work Europe, recognizes the impact of Diseases Musculoskeletal in our economies. Now must join efforts in support of national Governments, helping them to make these diseases a priority in each of their health systems, to improve outcomes in health and the labour ”, said Antonia Paranova, Member of the European Parliament, host of the project and Vice President of the coalition. only then we will support effectively to patients living with pain cróNico ”.

diseases músculoesqueléticas

under the term musculoskeletal diseases coalesce over 200 diseases that affect the muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, peripheral nerves and blood vessels, causing pain and functional disability patients (Punnett et al, 2004).

About Fit for Work Europe

Fit for Work Europe works to promote the dialogue multi-stakeholder in the musculoskeletal diseases to direct clinical practice and policies on health and labour to improve the quality of working life of people suffering from these diseases. Fit for Work is partner of organizations and individuals, and enjoys the patronage of The Work Foundation, decade of bones and joints of the United Nations, the European League against rheumatic diseases (EULAR) and RAND Europe, and with the support of a large number of stakeholders including the European Agency for the Social inclusion, the European Federation of associations of nurses, the International Association of the Mutualité, Interprise for Health, arthritis Ireland, the Association of Accountants collegial accredited, UniEuropa and more entities that join the project each month. The Coalition Fit For Work Europe is funded by Abbott – one of the founding partners – and GE Healthcare.

About the Coalition Fit for Work Europe

The Fit Coalition for Work is an innovative Union between patients, doctors, responsible politicians and representatives of society, which believe in the importance of early detection, prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. Its aim is to change the conditions of disability of these disorders to manageable conditions, to ensure that European citizens can spend more time at work and help improve the sustainability of European health systems. The specific objectives of the coalition are:

-provide leadership active in the conduct of work and priorities at the national level and community. Musculoskeletal Disorders health

-establish activities to support clinical, economic, and political projects to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of Fit for Work.

-continuously provide a basis for testing onlyprevail and evident to support the vision of Fit for Work of the importance of early intervention and treatment appropriate disorders musculoskeletal.

-share best practices of each of the countries and adapt initiatives of success for the implementation of the same, with the aim of creating common to all the countries musculoskeletal disorders national plans