In 2022, the "World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults" were created as a global effort to address the growing number of falls and related injuries. These guidelines provide recommendations, based on scientific evidence, for preventing and managing falls in various settings, including in the community, hospitals, and care homes.

A previous report showed that progress in putting these guidelines into practice varied greatly across Europe. However, a complete, worldwide overview of this progress had not been done. To fill this knowledge gap, researchers contacted experts who had participated in developing the guidelines to ask about the situation in their respective countries.

The researchers received responses from experts in 18 countries, including one from Africa, six from Asia, one from Europe, three from North America, one from Oceania, and six from South America. The responses showed that efforts to use the guidelines are happening in many of these nations. However, the degree of progress differs, ranging from countries that have fully incorporated the guidelines into their own policies to those that have taken minimal or no action.

The study identified several challenges that hinder progress. These include having limited resources, other health concerns being treated as more urgent, and cultural differences in how healthcare is provided.

To move forward, the guidelines must be adapted to fit different healthcare systems, and fall prevention must be integrated into national policies and health priorities. The authors suggest that strengthening international cooperation, sharing successful methods, and focusing on the most effective and practical fall prevention strategies in low-resource areas will help. They also state that promoting fall prevention as a public health priority will speed up progress around the world for the benefit of older patients at risk of falling.