WORLD OSTEOPOROSIS DAY

Early day motion 1775, tabled 20 October 2003 by Liam Fox (Conservative). Signed by 65 members.

That this House welcomes the marking by the National Osteoporosis Society of World Osteoporosis Day on 20th October, a key element in the campaign to raise awareness of this debilitating condition; expresses sympathy with the estimated three million osteoporosis sufferers in the United Kingdom; notes the widespread presence of osteoporosis and that one in three women and at least one in 12 men will develop the disease during their lifetime with resulting serious pain and loss of quality of life; notes that someone has a fracture as a result of osteoporosis every three minutes; further notes that osteoporosis can be fatal and that more women die after hip fractures than from cancer of the ovaries, cervix and uterus combined; supports the National Osteoporosis Society in its valuable work to highlight the importance of diet and exercise in creating healthy bones; and urges the Government to do more to ensure that the NHS understands the importance of early diagnosis and gives the disease sufficient priority in the future.

Signatures by party: Conservative 34, Labour 10, Liberal Democrat 10, Labour/Co-operative 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Scottish National Party 2, UUP 2, DUP 1, Independent Conservative 1, Independent Ulster Unionist 1.