The 7.3 million Australians living with musculoskeletal conditions are not getting the support they deserve

Abstract

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are the leading cause of disability and health costs in Australia and worldwide yet MSK research funding continues to be substantially lower than other chronic health conditions with similar and even lower overall disease burden. The chronic underfunding of musculoskeletal research has left sufferers frustrated by increasing burden, worsening outcomes, and complete overwhelm. People affected by musculoskeletal conditions often lack support, and certainty of care due to fundamental gaps in research and slow or no implementation of new research. Despite chronic underfunding, Australian-led research has delivered practice-changing outcomes to patients, clinicians, and policymakers, but we need to do more. Australia has the research and clinical workforce and skills to be worth investing in. We point to The Global Strategic Framework quoted from Briggs et al 2021, pp e006045 as a way forward.

Keywords

• Health policy
• funding
• equity
• musculoskeletal
• burden of disease