Health Minister Opens National Osteoporosis Day and Reactivates Technical Committee

Minister of Public Health Rakan Nasser Al-Din opened the events of "National Osteoporosis Day," titled: "From Medical Guidelines Recommendations to National-Level Implementation," at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). The event included lectures by experts on guidelines, health policies, strategies for improving medical practices, treatment accessibility, and follow-up mechanisms. It was attended by the Vice President of the University and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Raymond Sawaya, the coordinator of National Osteoporosis Day, Professor Ghada Hajj Fleyhan, along with doctors and experts.

Nasser Al-Din described osteoporosis as a "silent disease, as it may develop without noticeable symptoms until a fracture occurs, changing a person's mobility, independence, and quality of life." He stated: "The repercussions of the disease are not limited to the individual alone but extend to their family, who bear additional caregiving responsibilities, and to health services facing increasing burdens due to the heightened risk of recurrent fractures, which doubles the scale of the burden."

He discussed the financial burdens resulting from this disease, clarifying that they are "not yet precisely defined, with estimates indicating that the annual cost associated with hip fractures in Lebanon could reach approximately 18 million US dollars by 2050." He noted that "these estimates do not reflect the full picture, as they do not include costs related to decreased productivity, medications, other healthcare expenses, as well as less obvious impacts borne by patients and their families, and the potential for recurrent fractures."

Nasser Al-Din announced that "the Ministry of Public Health is taking multiple steps to enhance care for osteoporosis patients. Currently, work is underway to review the essential medicines list, aiming to include the most effective osteoporosis treatments within primary healthcare services. Additionally, efforts are being made to restore access to advanced osteoporosis treatments for eligible patients through the Rare Diseases Medicines Program."

He affirmed that "the ministry is keen on developing and strengthening the hip fracture registry," noting that data can help formulate an effective response plan.

The Health Minister indicated that work is also ongoing to establish quality standards for bone density measurement tests, explaining that these initiatives can contribute to connecting patients with appropriate medical evaluation and necessary follow-up, improving the consistency of provided services, and enhancing a care approach focused on preventing future fractures alongside treating existing ones.

He highlighted that "achieving these goals requires close partnership with doctors, academic institutions, public health experts, professional associations, and all national entities working in this field." He announced that, based on this principle, the National Technical Committee for Osteoporosis has been reactivated to transform shared priorities into practical and coordinated steps.