{"id":44925,"date":"2026-09-14T17:31:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T15:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/?p=44925"},"modified":"2026-09-15T16:09:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T14:09:07","slug":"oafi-diez-anos-haciendo-que-las-cosas-pasen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/oafi-diez-anos-haciendo-que-las-cosas-pasen\/","title":{"rendered":"OAFI: ten years of making things happen \u2013 a new academic year begins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This academic year does not begin like any other. We at OAFI are celebrating our tenth anniversary<\/strong>. A decade has passed since we decided that osteoarthritis and other osteoarticular conditions needed more attention, greater awareness and, above all, an organisation capable of listening to, supporting and advocating for those living with these conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten years is a long time. It has seen thousands of conversations with patients and their families, conferences, research projects, campaigns, prevention initiatives, educational programmes, and collaborations with healthcare professionals, institutions, scientific societies, universities and businesses. It has also seen us weather difficult times, learn, make adjustments, grow and reaffirm an idea that remains the driving force behind our work: behind every diagnosis there is a person, and improving their life must always be the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reach this tenth anniversary proud of the journey we have made, but with no intention of resting on our laurels. Quite the contrary. We want these ten years to be a starting point<\/strong>. Because there is still so much to be done to ensure that musculoskeletal health takes its rightful place, that prevention comes into play earlier, that information reaches people more effectively, and that the patient\u2019s voice carries real weight where decisions are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why we are starting the 2026\u20132027 academic year with a particularly busy programme: new projects, new partnerships, more prevention and training activities, the opening of CASA OAFI, the tenth edition of our International Patients\u2019 Congress, and preparations for a new edition of \u2018Articulando el Deporte\u2019. And there is much more besides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OAFI: Ten years working with patients<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

OAFI was founded to improve the lives of people with osteoarthritis and other osteoarticular conditions, and ten years on, that commitment continues to shape everything we do. We have worked to raise the profile of conditions that affect millions of people, to provide patients with accurate and accessible information, and to promote a vision of healthcare based not only on treatment, but also on prevention, education and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But our role goes beyond raising awareness or organising activities. OAFI also has a responsibility to advocate<\/strong>: to represent and defend patients\u2019 needs, to bring their voice to government bodies, healthcare institutions and the forums where health policies are decided, and to demand that osteoarticular conditions receive the attention commensurate with their enormous health, social and human impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past ten years, we have maintained that patients cannot simply be the end recipients of decisions. Their experiences, priorities and needs must form part of the process. We will continue to work to improve prevention and early detection, promote appropriate care, drive forward research and ensure that osteoarticular health features more prominently on the health and social agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating ten years therefore means giving thanks for what we have achieved, but also renewing our commitment. We want to continue to be an organisation that is useful to patients, demanding where change is still needed, and capable of building bridges between those who can make this possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A course on looking after your health in real life<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

One of the main aims of this course will be to bring prevention even closer to everyday life. We don\u2019t want to simply say that people need to look after themselves: we want to provide tools, knowledge and opportunities to learn how to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why we will be organising workshops, talks and activities relating to different aspects of health. Nutrition<\/strong> will be one of these, taking a practical approach to how diet can help look after our bones, muscles and joints, and how to realistically incorporate healthy habits into our daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Movement and physical activity will also play a key role. There will be suggestions for healthy sporting activities, adapted activities and disciplines such as Tai chi<\/strong>, which will enable us to work on balance, mobility, coordination and body awareness. Having an osteoarticular condition does not necessarily mean giving up exercise; often it means learning to move better and in a way that suits each individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will also address psychology and emotional wellbeing. Persistent pain, fear of movement, loss of independence or living with a chronic illness for years all have an emotional dimension that we cannot ignore. Looking after osteoarticular health means understanding the person as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, muscle health, nutrition, exercise, prevention, women\u2019s health, sport, emotional wellbeing and healthy ageing will form the basis of a programme that we aim to expand gradually. The philosophy is simple: scientific knowledge should not remain confined to a publication or a consultation, but should be transformed into decisions and habits that improve our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CASA OAFI opens its doors<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

During this new academic year, we will also experience one of the most significant moments in our recent history. On 26 September<\/strong>, we will be opening CASA OAFI in Sant Esteve de Ll\u00e9mena<\/strong>, in the heart of the Vall de Ll\u00e9mena, in La Garrotxa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CASA OAFI was established as a meeting place for patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, companies, institutions, associations and the local community. A place where research, training and experiences come together, and where patient involvement is not merely symbolic but active. Because putting the patient at the centre is not just about listening to them: it means building alongside them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the walls of a former vicarage dating back more than three centuries, set in a stunning natural environment, we aim to create a vibrant, open and participatory space. A place where activities, workshops, meetings, training sessions and research projects can take place, and where scientific knowledge and patient experience can come together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CASA OAFI will be a key part of this new phase and another tool to help us fulfil our purpose: to work together to improve osteoarticular health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 10th OAFI International Patients\u2019 Congress<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The celebrations marking the OAFI\u2019s tenth anniversary will reach another of their highlights on 28 and 29 October<\/strong>, when Barcelona will host the 10th OAFI International Patients\u2019 Congress<\/strong> (#OAFICongress26). Reaching the tenth edition of our Congress in the very same year that we are celebrating a decade since the Foundation\u2019s inception holds special significance for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of two days, we will once again bring together patients, healthcare professionals, researchers and specialists to share the latest developments in osteoarticular health, answer questions, learn and create opportunities for discussion. The Congress perfectly encapsulates an idea that has guided us from the very beginning: knowledge about health cannot remain solely amongst specialists; it must reach the general public<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will inevitably look back and reflect on some of what we have experienced over this decade, but we want the Congress to be, above all, an opportunity to look ahead. Because there are still many questions to be answered, patients\u2019 needs that require new solutions, and enormous potential for improving prevention and quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Articulando el Deporte: to prevent is to win<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Prevention will also continue to take centre stage through \u2018Articulando el Deporte<\/strong>\u2019, our forum bringing together medicine, science, sport and musculoskeletal health. At the most recent event, held at the Spanish Olympic Committee\u2019s headquarters under the slogan \u2018To prevent is to win<\/strong>\u2019, we once again highlighted the importance of protecting athletes\u2019 health, not only during their sporting careers but also with a view to their future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Articulando will return next spring and will continue to bring together medicine, research and sport to focus on injury prevention, muscle and joint health, innovation and healthy sporting practice. An injury does not necessarily end when the athlete returns to the pitch: preventing and treating it correctly today can mean preserving mobility, independence and quality of life twenty or thirty years down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This perspective ties in with an idea that we want to convey ever more strongly to society as a whole: prevention does not begin when the illness appears. It begins much earlier.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New partnerships to go further<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

This new academic year will also bring new and very important partnerships<\/strong> for OAFI. Since our inception, we have recognised that no single organisation can, on its own, tackle a problem of the magnitude of osteoarticular diseases. We need to work together with healthcare professionals, researchers, hospitals, universities, scientific societies, public authorities, companies, patient organisations and other bodies that share our commitment to improving people\u2019s health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the coming months, we will be announcing new collaborations that will enable us to strengthen various areas of our work. Some will expand our research capacity; others will allow us to develop new programmes, reach more patients, generate knowledge or open up new avenues for prevention, training and innovation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cannot yet reveal all the details, but we can explain what we aim to achieve through them: to pool knowledge, capabilities and resources to make an impact that would be impossible to achieve individually. For OAFI, collaboration has never simply meant collecting logos. A partnership makes sense when it enables something to happen that could not happen before and, above all, when that outcome ultimately reaches the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OAFI: ten years on, and we\u2019re still going strong with our projects<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

This new academic year will also see further growth in some of our most important programmes. OAFI WOMAN will continue to focus on women\u2019s osteoarticular health, particularly during stages such as the menopause and post-menopause<\/a>, providing knowledge and tools on prevention, exercise, nutrition, pain management and healthy habits to help preserve their independence and quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OAFI CONTIGO<\/strong> will bring prevention, early detection and support directly to groups with specific needs, combining practical training, screening and follow-up to detect osteoarticular problems and take action before they begin to affect people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And OAFI SPACE<\/a><\/strong> It will continue to combine health and architecture to assess, adapt and certify homes, care homes, hotels and other settings, reducing risks such as falls and fractures and promoting safer, more accessible and healthier spaces. Three different ways of working towards a single goal: anticipating problems, safeguarding independence and improving people\u2019s quality of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A community that makes OAFI possible<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

If we are able to celebrate OAFI\u2019s tenth anniversary today, it is because it has never been just a foundation. It is also the community that has grown up around it: patients and their families, healthcare professionals, researchers, institutions, companies, organisations, partners and all those who have ever taken part in a conference, an activity, a study, a campaign or any of our projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We would like to thank them all. And we would particularly like to thank our volunteers<\/strong>, who, through their time and commitment, help us to organise events, conferences and initiatives that we would struggle to carry out without them. With everything that lies ahead, we want to expand this community and open up new ways for those who wish to collaborate with us to get involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our members are also indispensable<\/strong>. Their contributions help us to maintain our independence, develop projects for patients, promote research, carry out prevention and awareness-raising initiatives, and continue our work in advocacy and representation. Major transformations require strong organisations, and an organisation like OAFI is stronger the larger the community that supports it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a member is, in a way, saying \u201cI want this to exist\u201d<\/strong>. I want there to be an independent organisation that stands up for patients. I want there to be research that addresses their needs. I want there to be accessible education, prevention, support and a community that is there when someone needs it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OAFI: Ten years on, we\u2019re still going on<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

We have months ahead of us filled with conferences, workshops, tai chi, nutrition, sport, psychology, research, new partnerships, new venues and projects that we cannot yet announce. But that list is not what matters. What matters is why we are doing all this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are doing it so that one person can better understand their illness and another can prevent it. So that someone can move again without fear. To generate knowledge that will enable us to find better solutions. To ensure that healthcare decision-makers listen to patients\u2019 needs. To defend their rights and interests. And to help build a society in which living longer also means being able to live better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten years ago, we set out with a conviction and much to build. Today, we have more experience, more knowledge, a much larger community and new challenges ahead. But the reason we do all this remains the same: people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you to those of you who were there at the start, to those who have joined us along the way, and to those of you who will be becoming part of OAFI from now on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This anniversary is yours too. We\u2019re celebrating ten years. And we\u2019re still making things happen.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This academic year does not begin like any other. We at OAFI are celebrating our tenth anniversary. A decade has passed since we decided that osteoarthritis and other osteoarticular conditions needed more attention, greater awareness and, above all, an organisation capable of listening to, supporting and advocating for those living with these conditions. Ten years […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1287,538,1],"tags":[1273,2944],"class_list":["post-44925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","category-latest","category-uncategorized-en","tag-fundacion-internacional-de-la-artrosis-en","tag-oafi-10-anos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44925"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44993,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44925\/revisions\/44993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}