Welcome Address

Greetings esteemed guests,

The 5th Spine20 Summit meeting in 2024 will take place in Brazil. With the theme “Spinal Disability: Social Inclusion as the Key to Prevention and Management,” Brazil will host the 5th Spine20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. We are committed to promoting this important global gathering, organized locally by the Brazilian Spine Society (SBC), one of the partner societies of the Spine20 movement. The purpose of this movement is to draw attention from the leaders of G20 countries to establish and prioritize spinal care programs for the population. Brazil stands alongside more than 30 spine societies worldwide in the pursuit of improving the care and treatment of spinal diseases, in a joint effort to develop, implement, and evaluate practices aimed at alleviating the burden of disabling spinal conditions.

The Brazilian Constitution of 1988 states that health is a right for all and a duty of the state, which must be guaranteed through social and economic policies aimed at reducing the risk of disease and promoting universal and equal access to health promotion, protection, and recovery actions and services. Health should be understood as quality of life and not just the absence of diseases. Despite being the 9th largest economy in the world, Brazil faces many challenges in the healthcare sector, including long waiting lists for spinal treatment. Additionally, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Social Security (Statistical Yearbook of Work Accidents – AEAST, 2021 edition) revealed that lower back pain is the leading cause of absenteeism and disability for work in major Brazilian cities located in the most economically developed regions.

I invite everyone to participate in Spine20 2024 on August 9th and 10th at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics (INTO) in Rio de Janeiro, for a collaborative experience, bringing discussion and reflection to governments on the need to promote public health policies for the spine. According to a WHO report released in January of this year, lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. In 2020, approximately 1 in 13 people (or 619 million individuals) experienced at least one episode of this problem. This represents a 60% increase compared to 1990. And these numbers are expected to continue rising over the next few decades: the WHO estimates that the condition will affect 843 million people by 2050. Welcome to our country. Brazil presents an enormous cultural and ethnic diversity, forming a widely diverse landscape in each of its regions and states, with influences from indigenous, African, and European cultures. This is reflected in various customs and traditions, making Brazil a joyful and hospitable nation.