Introduction:
World Arthritis Day is observed on this day every year to raise awareness and encourage early diagnosis. It is one of the most common diseases worldwide, and a leading cause of disability.
Types of arthritis include gout, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and others.
Causes and symptoms vary, and treatment depends mainly on the type and severity of inflammation.
Facts:
- Arthritis affects both men and women of all ages, in addition to children.
- Some types of the disease are more common in women than men, and vice versa.
- Arthritis has social, economic and health effects.
- Arthritis is the number-one cause of premature retirement.
- Risk factors for arthritis include unhealthy life style such as smoking and overweight. Other factors include aging and some professions that use joints excessively.
- Weather changes and malnutrition do not cause arthritis.
Objectives:
- Raise awareness about rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
- Encourage arthritis patients, care providers, families and the public to grasp any opportunity to take necessary processes and make a difference in the arthritis patients’ quality of life.
- Raise awareness on issues affecting people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal system diseases.
- Impact public policy by making decision makers aware of the burden on arthritis patients, and steps that can be taken to ease it.
- Provide a network to support arthritis patients and care providers.
Official Date:
- Globally: October 12th, 2017
- Locally: Muharram 2nd, 1439H
Theme of World Arthritis Day:
Target Groups:
- Arthritis patients and their families.
- Health professionals, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and health educators.
- Education professionals, including teachers, social workers and others.
- Health decisions makers.
- Health organizations and associations.
- The public.
Related links:
http://worldarthritisday.org
http://www.arthritis.org
The World Day fact sheet is to be emailed to the General Department for Health Enhancement and Health Education:
Hpromotion@moh.gov.sa