Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America · Mar 14, 2026

Health Systems Strengthening to Promote Access to Care for Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases Globally

By Woolf AD, Åkesson KE, Betteridge N et al.

Musculoskeletal health is essential to health, well-being, and independence across the life course. Musculoskeletal conditions including inflammatory joint diseases, osteoarthritis, back pain, osteoporosis, and fragility fractures are among the greatest causes of disability globally imposing a major burden on health and social care and economic impact also through lost productivity. Despite effective ways of preventing, treating, and rehabilitating these problems, lack of priority results in avoidable disability and costs. We consider how the expert community, through lived and learnt experience, can together influence health policy and health priorities, nationally and globally.

doi.org/10.1016/j.rdc.2026.02.003PubMed 42097726Industry & policy