Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about osteoporosis. World Osteoporosis Day, 20 October, is dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. We must reduce the incidence of osteoporosis for positive long-term health outcomes. In Australia, it's estimated that 4.7 million people over the age of 50 suffer from poor bone health, and fractures occur every three minutes in this country—some 160,000 fractures a year—with a cost of $2.5 billion to the health system. In my electorate of Bass, an alarming 49 per cent of people over the age of 20 suffer poor bone health, and northern Tasmanian doctors and nurses deal with 4,000 fractures a year.

Given our ageing population, it is not surprising, but we must not accept this as the status quo, particularly when it comes to preventable disease. Prevention is indeed better than cure, and I know the Morrison government has been working closely with leaders in the health field to look at addressing this issue. I look forward to hearing soon about new initiatives in this area. We know effective treatments are available and can halve the risk of fracture. Additionally, early action can be taken through regular exercise, a bone-healthy diet and consultation with your doctor about risk factors. I encourage my community of all ages to look at what lifestyle changes they can make to avoid developing this chronic disease.