The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has awarded the prestigious CNS Medal to Teréza Hough, CEO of the National Osteoporosis Foundation South Africa (NOFSA), in recognition of her longstanding dedication to osteoporosis awareness, education, and advocacy both nationally and through her participation in the IOF global network.

The IOF Committee of National Societies (CNS) Medal is awarded annually to honour an individual who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to bone health advocacy while making an important contribution to the IOF Committee of National Societies (CNS) through active participation in CNS activities and by expanding IOF’s message and outreach at the local level. 

Since 2003, Teréza Hough has been CEO of NOFSA, an IOF member society and the only non-profit, voluntary health organization dedicated to promoting lifelong bone health in South Africa. She has been involved in the field of Osteoporosis for the past 35 years. After completing diplomas in General Nursing and Midwifery she obtained a degree in Organizational and Industrial Psychology and Communication. She was Chief Professional Nurse in charge of the Endocrine and Metabolic Unit at Tygerberg Hospital and Educational Officer for NOFSA. She was also the study coordinator and DXA Operator for several clinical trials on osteoporosis. As well as being co-author of several articles in Medical Journals, she has written numerous articles on osteoporosis and related topics for the lay press, written chapters on endocrinology for post graduate nurses, presented at various National and International meetings, and has been a guest speaker on several radio and television shows.

Teréza is also a keen lobbyist for the rights of patients and has taken part in several working groups, advisory boards, and expert panels, both on national and international levels. Upon receiving the CNS Medal, she stated:

“Thank you so much for this honor bestowed on me. Being part of the IOF-CNS Community where we are all working together to make change happen in the way osteoporosis is diagnosed and treated is an absolute privilege.”

“NOFSA is so fortunate to be able to access the amazing hub of information and visual content the IOF produces which we can use to spread the word about osteoporosis nationally.”

Professor Jean-Yves Reginster, Chair of the CNS, added:

“It is with great pleasure that we present this year’s CNS Medal to Teréza Hough. As CEO of the National Osteoporosis Foundation South Africa, she has been a dedicated member of the IOF global family for close to twenty years. Every year, NOFSA participates actively in the IOF-led World Osteoporosis Day campaign and other public awareness initiatives. Teréza Hough has been a committed and outstanding champion for bone health and osteoporosis prevention in South Africa, working tirelessly to raise awareness, and to advance education among the public, patients, and healthcare professionals across the country.”

The IOF Committee of National Societies comprises more than 300 patient and medical organizations in the bone field and related areas such as women’s health and patient advocacy. It represents the world’s largest single network of national and regional organizations dedicated to osteoporosis and musculoskeletal disorders. CNS societies are run by committed individuals who - often as volunteers – do invaluable work in raising public awareness and improving patient care at the national level. Their grassroots efforts in implementing IOF information campaigns locally have helped spread important prevention messages and key information for the benefit of patients worldwide.

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About the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis & Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO-IOF-ESCEO)
Held jointly by IOF and ESCEO, the WCO-IOF-ESCEO annual congress is the world’s largest forum for the presentation of clinical research and new advances in the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, and frailty. The WCO-IOF-ESCEO 2022 is held as a virtual Congress.  For complete information visit https://virtual.wco-iof-esceo.org/
The WCO-IOF-ESCO 2023 is planned from May 4-7, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. 

About IOF
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world's largest nongovernmental organization dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF members, including committees of scientific researchers as well as more than 300 patient, medical and research organizations, work together to make fracture prevention and healthy mobility a worldwide heath care priority. www.osteoporosis.foundation @iofbonehealth

About ESCEO
The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) is a non-profit organization, dedicated to a close interaction between clinical scientists dealing with rheumatic disorders, pharmaceutical industry developing new compounds in this field, regulators responsible for the registration of such drugs and health policymakers, to integrate the management of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis within the comprehensive perspective of health resources utilization. The objective of ESCEO is to provide practitioners with the latest clinical and economic information, allowing them to organize their daily practice, from an evidence-based medicine perspective, with a cost-conscious perception. www.esceo.org