The All-Russian Union of Patient Public Associations (VSP) has distributed the final resolution of the X All-Russian Congress of Patients “Interaction of the government and the patient community as the basis for building a patient-oriented Healthcare system in Russia”. The Union is an important advocacy group which represents the interests of Russian citizens as patients, with the mission to achieve the highest possible level of medical care. It unites 24 all-Russian and inter-regional patient organizations and more than 180 representatives of patient NGOs, who represent the interests of more than seven million citizens.

At the Congress, held in Moscow from November 28 - December 1, 2019, and after analysis of 10 years of laborious work, the Union has formed recommendations for achieving the current health goals of the Russian Federation. The recommendations have been sent to the President, the Government of the Russian Federation and the Council of the Federation, and have been disseminated to specialists, the general public, non-profit organizations and the media.

At the Congress in December, Professor Olga Ershova, Chair of OSTEORUS (the Society of Patients with Osteoporosis) and Vice-President of the Russian Association on  Osteoporosis (RAOP), spoke at the Roundtable “Healthcare of the Elderly. Patients with mobility difficulties: approaches to the modern solution of the problem.” She presented the report “Problems of  the organization  of medical care for patients with osteoporosis”. Prof. Ershova recommended introducing recognition of osteoporosis, which results in vertebral and proximal femoral fractures, into the Roundtable resolution. She urged that osteoporosis must be designated as a socially significant disease with the provision of drugs already on the list of Vital and Essential Drugs by the decision of the Doctors’ Commission. 

These important proposals have now been included as recommendations for the Russian government in the final resolution of the Congress in section XI “On Issues of Particular Diseases” in paragraph 6 “On Issues of  Healthcare of the Elderly” in subparagraphs 3, 4, 5:

• 3. Given the high impact of osteoporosis and the result of  low-traumatic fractures on life expectancy, consider the inclusion of osteoporosis in the list of socially significant diseases.
• 4. Taking into account the increase in the number of fractures that occur against   the background of severe osteoporosis and the need to prevent  secondary fractures, determine the additional need for medication for patients with severe osteoporosis and low-traumatic fractures in the anamnesis, taking into consideration the therapeutic options available as part of Vital and Essential Drugs at the level of the subjects of the Russian Federation.
• 5. Given the high effectiveness of targeted drug therapy, provide citizens with severe osteoporosis with preferential medications.

The proposals were supported by  the Russian Association on Osteoporosis  (President Professor O. Lesnyak) and by the Patient community of Russia.

IOF congratulates OSTEORUS and RAOP for their extraordinary commitment and their efforts in education and advocacy which are now bearing fruit.