Osteoarthritis Aotearoa New Zealand (OAAoNZ) will hold the first of its Osteoarthritis “Summits” in November 2022 at Victoria University of Wellington’s Rutherford House.

This event and the associated OA Research Network Conference seek to build on the work that was started at our OA Basecamp in July 2021 at the University of Auckland.

The OAAoNZ Committee extends a very warm invitation to key Government Ministers, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and Māori Health Authority leaders, colleagues involved in primary care, secondary and tertiary care services, healthcare commissioning and research funding and also consumers living with OA to join us in Wellington in November and become part of the significant mahi OAAoNZ is undertaking.

We are concerned about health system responses to the growing burden of OA in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the absence of a National Model of Care for managing the condition. We take inspiration from the successful series of significant gatherings or Osteoarthritis “Summits” held in Australia and led by the prominent rheumatologist and world-leading OA expert Professor David Hunter. This work ultimately generated a National Osteoarthritis Strategy for Australia in 2018.

The two key objectives of our kaupapa are:

1) To co-create via active partnerships a National Model of Care for Osteoarthritis, and

2) To develop a list of national priorities in osteoarthritis research and innovative health delivery.

For more information about the OAAoNZ and the events, click here.