INTRODUCTION

The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) has held an annual International Falls and Postural Stability Conference for nearly two decades. This conference has led to the success in falls prevention policies with the National Falls and Fragility Fracture Programme now entering its fifth year.

The BGS agreed to join forces with the Malaysian Society of  Geriatric Medicine (MSGM) to expand this collaboration globally, especially since the world has never had, and really needs a falls and postural stability event. The partnership will help push forward the agenda of falls in older persons globally, and will certainly bring to the forefront both falls prevention and well as healthcare and social care issues associated with population ageing in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Keynote and Panel speakers will challenge the audience and stimulate new ways of thinking about falls prevention, assessment and evaluation. The continuum of education will be addressed in medicine, psychiatry, nursing and the other healthcare professions, from undergraduate through postgraduate/specialist training to the area of continuing professional development.

Participants from around the world are invited to submit abstracts relating to their work, for presentation in oral and poster presentations.

The important work on falls and postural stability and recommendations as to best practices will be continued, with the aim of disseminating information about the state-of-the-art practice globally.