Writing Fit

Since 2007, the Fit for Work programme has looked at the impact of MSDs on individuals’ ability to work in 30 European and beyond. Now that we have collected data from all over Europe, we are beginning to understand why some countries perform better at tackling the impact of MSDs on the economy and the society. We see strong evidence for the connection between prevalence of long-term illness, labour market indicators and the country’s economic performance.
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On Friday I was proud to launch the latest Fit for Work report at the X annual Forum of Reumaliit patient group in Estonia. The Reumafoorum heard on the importance of early intervention in reducing the impact of MSDs from a variety of renowned speakers, including Dr Tõnu Peets, Head of the Estonian Society for Rheumatology, David Magnusson from The Swedish Rheumatism Association and Ain Aaviksoo from Praxis Centre of Policy Studies, who is leading on a study of the socioeconomic costs  of rheumatic disease in Estonia.
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FfW Europe Co-President, Stephen Bevan, and independent health economist, Leela Barham, discuss pros and cons of taking a wider societal perspective in healthcare decision-making, and possible reasons why work and labour market participation are rarely included in the remit of Health Technology Assessment.

The Place of Work in Healthcare Decision Making

Steve Bevan, Founding President, Fit for Work Europe Coalition, publishes new briefing paper – ‘Fit for Work? Maximising Employment and Social Inclusion in the EU.’ The paper examines the case of workers with MSDs.

Fit for Work_ Maximising Employment and Social Inclusion in the EU

FfW Conference 2011 Reminder

Fit for Work Europe – Annual Conference – 19 October 2011 Event Agenda

On Thursday my colleague Ksenia Zheltoukhova and I were proud to launch the latest Fit for Work report at the Economic Forum in Krynica-Zdrój in southern Poland. We hope that the findings and recommendations of our research will increase awareness and provide a foundation for action at a national level. Now that Poland has assumed the Presidency of the European Union (EU), it has a unique opportunity to lead positive changes in the way the societal burden of chronic disease and work-related health conditions are managed. The Polish Presidency will also see the publication of a new EU Directive on Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) at work, which provides another opportunity to put these issues under the spotlight.

So what is the impact of MSDs in Poland and what can be done to improve the situation?
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A huge highlight of our visit to Poland this week was the opportunity to meet former President of Poland Lech Wałęsa. The President very kindly wrote a Foreword to our report and has endorsed its findings. He said of our report:

‘Fit for Work is an initiative to improve the quality of life of active workers. I am glad to learn that in times of economic crisis there are people who are willing to promote new ideas, ready to and capable of fighting for a better future.’
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