Thank you Karen [Ormerod, President and CEO, Osteoporosis Society of Canada] for that very kind introduction.

Before I begin I would like to acknowledge Dr. Ruth Wilson, who is here today, and whose work with the Ontario Women's Health Quality Council contributed significantly to what I am going to be announcing.

Dr. Wilson is a leader in health care in this province, a pioneer in the reform of primary care, and I am delighted to see her here.

This is an extremely important event.

Osteoporosis does not have the public profile that it should, given its devastating effects on the lives of thousands of Ontarians.

It is a disease that has been too long ignored by successive governments here in Ontario.

Everyone in this room knows the statistics, and understands the pain that lies beneath the numbers.

Osteoporosis is a highly debilitating disease that affects more than half a million Ontarians. One in four women and one in eight men over the age of 50 suffer from this disease.

Osteoporosis is the single greatest cause of fractures among Ontarians over 50.

It erodes basic quality of life. It robs people of their ability to do simple everyday things, like stair climbing and lifting. It can lead to fear, pain, physical deformity and prolonged hospitalization.

There are an estimated 57,000 osteoporosis-related fractures every year in Ontario, which cost this province approximately $500 million in hospitalization and long-term care.

And these costs will only increase as Ontario's population – all of us – continue to age.

These facts are sobering. They compel us to act.

Because the fact is that there is also good news about osteoporosis. It is both preventable and treatable.

And I am proud to say that we are launching this province's first-ever comprehensive Osteoporosis Strategy, aimed at doing just that : preventing the disease, and improving the lives of millions of Ontarians through improved treatment.

I want to say that in designing this strategy, we were building on the great work done by the people in this room.

I'd like to thank the Osteoporosis Society of Canada for the many helpful suggestions and recommendations you made as we worked to develop this plan.

We heard you… we listened to you… and we're looking forward to working with you as we implement this strategy across Ontario.

As I said at the outset, I'd also like to thank the Ontario Women's Health Council whose ground-breaking report, "A Framework and Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Osteoporosis," provided the initial ground work on which this strategy is based.

We will be supporting our Osteoporosis Strategy with an annual investment of $5 million.

There are five basic components of this initiative :

Increased awareness and better health promotion. There will be public education aimed at improving early recognition of osteoporosis, and emphasizing the importance of physical activity as well as calcium and vitamin D intake for bone health.

Early diagnosis. We will be encouraging the appropriate use of bone mineral density testing for those at risk, making earlier diagnosis possible.

Best practices. We will be giving medical professionals tools to better use clinical practice guidelines.

Research. More research will expand our knowledge base about this disease, allowing us to improve both prevention and treatment in the future.

And finally improved treatment now. We will be enhancing the quality of care for osteoporosis sufferers by integrating services throughout the system, and across the province. This includes :

• Integration of osteoporosis care throughout the various stages of treatment – primary care, post-fracture, rehabilitation – to ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time, by the right person.
• Creation of a province-wide fracture clinic intervention program to improve patient referrals for diagnosis, care, treatment, and prevention of future re-fractures.
• Development of self-management programs and resources to help patients manage their disease and prevent its progression; and,
• Establishment of interdisciplinary teams in Academic Health Science Centres across the province to provide better integrated care for complex osteoporosis cases.

This new strategy focuses on a client-driven approach, in which health care organizations, the community, and the individual work together, and the benefits will be felt across the system.

By reducing fractures and re-fractures, we can shorten wait-times for key services, such as hip and knee replacements, while trimming hospital costs, rehabilitation, and long-term care needs.

There will be fewer emergency room visits and fewer hospital and long-term care admissions.

And most important of all, by improving the management and treatment of osteoporosis, we will reduce disability, improve quality of life, and lessen pain and suffering for thousands of Ontarians.

This strategy is critically important. It provides us with a plan to counter the threat of pain and disability among a population that is aging, and consequently more prone to Osteoporosis.

Providing every Ontarian with the best-possible health care is the biggest priority of our government, and obviously my biggest priority as Health Minister.

Much of our focus in health care revolves around prevention, better community-based care, and giving people the tools they need to take control of their health.

With this new comprehensive strategy, I am proud to say that Ontario is taking a world-leading role in the care and treatment of osteoporosis.

Thank you.