Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like the member for Higgins, I rise today to take this opportunity to inform the House that World Osteoporosis Day will take place this Sunday. The day is dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, a chronic illness and fragile bone disease that causes painful and debilitating fractures.

World Osteoporosis Day aims to put osteoporosis and fracture prevention on the global health agenda by reaching out to policymakers, healthcare professionals and the community. The good news is that good bone health and prevention of osteoporosis is due to good health in general—good diet, plenty of exercise and making sure that we stay healthy. That means avoiding things like alcohol and tobacco smoking, and trying to live a healthy lifestyle.

Fractures in later life can be quite debilitating. We know that almost 50 per cent of people over the age of 50 have a degree of osteoporosis, and that prevention of fractures can lead to much better lifestyles. Osteoporosis can be treated, and fractures can be prevented. Diagnosis and treatment can halve the risk of fractures in patients, and preventing costly broken bones is our collective responsibility.

Osteoporosis is not simply part of the ageing process—it can be prevented. What we need is a significant shift in the levels of public awareness of the causes and consequences of osteoporosis. I commend the community and the House to remember osteoporosis, and I encourage all to take early preventative action. (Time expired)