The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), the Asian Federation of Osteoporosis Societies (AFOS) and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) have launched a new regional alliance in which the three organizations pledge to collaborate on a common platform to achieve their respective missions.

The announcement was made on November 30th during the IOF Regional Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting in Sydney, following a launch meeting of the organizations representatives, including Dr Robert Blank (ISCD President), Dr Ang Sen Bin (AFOS Vice-President), Peter Brown (ISCD CEO), Dr Philippe Halbout (IOF CEO), and Dr Joon Kiong Lee (ISCD Vice-President).

The Asia-Pacific is the region in which the greatest number of fragility fractures due to osteoporosis will occur in the decades to come. It is imperative that concerned organizations work together to take effective action for prevention. Through greater collaboration and by combining their expertise and strengths, the organizations in the alliance will harness synergies for more effectiveness and greater outreach.

IOF President Cyrus Cooper stated: "This Alliance makes perfect sense. IOF, AFOS and ISCD have complementary areas of expertise and we share the same missions dedicated to the prevention, early diagnosis, and appropriate management of osteoporosis. As well, each has a strong commitment to advancing secondary fracture prevention and healthcare professional training in the Asia-Pacific. We look forward to increasing our collaborative efforts and to mutually enhancing our respective work in the region.”

He added: “I would particularly like to thank Dr Joon Kiong Lee, current chair of the IOF Asia-Pacific & South Africa Regional Advisory Council (RAC) and ISCD Vice-President, whose vision and personal commitment have been instrumental in establishing the Alliance. The IOF-ISCD-AFOS Alliance reflects the strong spirit of collaboration underlying the Asia-Pacific Fragility Fracture Alliance, a broader coalition of seven regional and global organizations (including IOF, AFOS and ISCD) which has been established to tackle fragility fractures in the region."

Working together, all stakeholders and concerned advocates hope to make progress in improving secondary fracture prevention and alleviating the human and socio-economic burden posed by fragility fractures in the region.