Task Force Initiatives
o Global Musculoskeletal Health
Led by Chris Scott, Helen Foster
o Global Research Task Force
Led by Brian Feldman, Niocla Ruperto
o Fostering the next generation of translational researchers
Led by Annette van Royen, Johannes Roth
Welcome to our June 2023 e-Newsletter
Dear Friends,
The first half of 2023 is nearly behind us. It feels like we have barely had time to dust ourselves off from the COVID years and we are back to our ‘new normal’ and going at a pace that seems to be accelerating all the time. There are many new challenges for us as planet and for our social and political systems. I am always amazed at how we as healthcare workers seem to be able to work together to make a better world for the children and families that we serve. In the case of the Global Task Force, we do this on behalf of children and families challenged with musculoskeletal conditions. We know that all the work that you put into the Global Task Force is voluntary,
that you have to sacrifice family and social time in order to achieve this and for some of you the burden is exacerbated by having to accommodate international time zones. It is these sacrifices, however, that have seen us achieve globally relevant outcomes for our community and that continue to give hope and inspiration to others.
In this edition of the newsletter we reflect on some of these achievements from our colleagues around the world.
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Welcome to our December 2022 e-Newsletter and to our expanding global community
What a long, strange trip 2022 has been! At some point in this year many of us started to resume our lives in a fashion that closely approximates the normal we knew before the pandemic.
Whilst we are more easily working from home and having more online meetings, many of us have resumed travel (with all its new challenges) and started to regain the joy of face to face meetings. The PReS, ACR and BSR meetings in September and November were wonderful occasions for us to meet up again and rediscover the joy and warmth of in person meetings. Indeed, the Global Task Force, which was convened just before the pandemic struck, had rarely opportunity to meet formally and in person. So, it was a few months after our third birthday that we managed to fill a conference room in Prague to capacity and meet one another face to face to carry forward our goal to positively impact the lives of children and families from across the globe who are living with musculoskeletal conditions. What a pleasure it was to feel the strength of our common cause and hear reflections from literally all over the globe.
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Welcome to our June 2022 e-Newsletter and to our expanding global community
We hope that you find the articles in our June Newsletter inspiring and energising – ‘working better together’ is the way forwards and is so neatly encapsulated in this African proverb:
‘If you want to go fast, go alone – if you want to go further, go together’
An introduction from Prof Chris Scott
The only constant in life is change and this is especially true for the dynamic members of the Task Force!
Congratulations to Prof Claudia Saad-Maghalães from Brazil who has kindly agreed to replace Prof Helen Foster as Co-Chair on the Task Force. Helen, who has led from selflessly from the front and conceptualised the very idea of a Task Force, will continue to be actively involved, focusing on the further development and dissemination of the PMM suite of educational materials. Claudia brings to the TF a lifetime of experience in leadership, advocacy and clinical care in paediatric rheumatology and I personally look forward to working with her very much in this new role. Helen has been appointed to the Global Alliance for MSK Health International Coordinating Council, so she will be able to make further great contributions to our cause from her new position!
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Welcome to our March 2022 e-Newsletter and to our expanding global community
As a Global Task Force, we can look back at the last 12 months and be proud of all that we have achieved; an increasing network and community of energised motivated people coming together with the common aim of improving the lives of children, young people and their families.
We have established ourselves as a global voice with representation from all over the world. A voice that is growing louder and more self-assured with time. With every step in the last year we have all been inspired by the wonderful community of paediatric rheumatologists, allied healthcare workers, orthopaedic surgeons and other musculoskeletal specialists who care so deeply about their cause and who give so freely of their time and resources to make a difference.
The future of the Global Task Force looks bright. A Steering Committee has been established and meets remotely once every month. We have developed workstreams from our Call to Action with several different projects drawing on the expertise and motivation from the entire Global Task Force. Furthermore PReS has agreed to secure the future of PMM (www.pmmonline.org) and this will ensure that the PMM website and all the other resources (e.g. pGALS app and translations) will remain free and open all in perpetuity. The Task Force is integrally involved with PMM and has many members on the recently formed new PMM Editorial Board. A PMM Scoping Review is underway to revise PMM contents and ensure that they serve the global musculoskeletal health community in the best possible way. New websites have been designed for our Task Force and PMM will also have a fresh new look – both will soon go live. The Steering committee has also embarked on a process of succession planning as Professor Helen Foster plans to step down as our Task Force chair to focus on PMM related matters and other key projects with the Task Force.
So, we are busy and our momentum continues to build. In this newsletter, we are delighted to share more news and updates from around the world.
We hope that you find these articles inspiring and energising - working better together is the way forwards and is so neatly encapsulated in this African proverb:
‘If you want to go fast, go alone – if you want to go further, go together’
Task Force co-chairs:
Prof Chris Scott
Prof Helen Foster
