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EFORT has unique opportunity to support global patient care initiatives, education
BERLIN — The European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology opened its annual congress here with news of new alliances and calls for action to help save lives from road trauma.
After a welcome from Prof. Dieter C. Wirtz, MD, and Prof. Karsten Dreinhöfer, MD, local organizers of the 13th EFORT Congress 2012, Pierre Hoffmeyer, MD, of Geneva, president of EFORT, told attendees of the organization’s role in the promotion of musculoskeletal science and patient care in Europe. With 44 national associations, 38 nations and more than 35,000 orthopaedic surgeons and traumatologists, EFORT has helped strengthen and unite musculoskeletal surgeons, and has ultimately advanced the level of orthopaedic education and patient care throughout Europe.
“This is truly a great army to fight disease,” Hoffmeyer said.
Hoffmeyer spoke of EFORT’s newly formed alliance with the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR). Together, EULAR and EFORT have formed the European Musculoskeletal Health Alliance (EMSA), which he said will provide the musculoskeletal community with a stronger voice and greater firepower with the European Union’s governing officials in Brussels.
Hoffmeyer also discussed the new EFORT Academy, an opportunity to recognize colleagues who dedicate their time and energy to EFORT. The members are the national associations, however, the EFORT Academy will empower individual colleagues who have dedicated their work to EFORT, he said.
Manjul Joshipura, MD, from the World Health Organization (WHO) updated attendees of the WHO’s Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 initiative. He said road accidents are one of the major killers of young, productive lives and the exact costs to countries still need to be understood. However, the burden of traffic injuries continues to grow. The musculoskeletal community, he said, needs to have an active role in the program to help the WHO in its goal of saving 5 million lives within the next 10 years.
“We have a huge opportunity to contribute to this effort,” Joshipura said.
The surgical world can help by encouraging countries to develop their Decade of Action for Road Safety plans, as well as promote national training in first aid and life saving skills. Additional, orthopaedic surgeons can advocate for trauma care and support the overall importance of WHO’s initiative.