Women in RA – A Union of Voices to urge Europeans to mobilise political decision-makers to help combat rheumatoid arthritis
Celebrating International Women’s Day, women tell their story through Parliamentary debate, interactive exhibition and online campaign
Brussels, 7 March, 2007 – People with Arthritis/Rheumatism in Europe (PARE) Manifesto will launch its Women in RA – A Union of Voices campaign tomorrow, International Women’s Day, in Brussels. Women in RA – A Union of Voices is a platform to help unite the estimated 1.7 million European women living with RA with many experiencing long-term joint damage, loss of function and disability. RA, a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by the inflammation of the joints and concomitant joint destruction has a profound impact on women and their families – physically, financially and emotionally. In Europe alone, rheumatic diseases impose an economic burden of more than 200 billion euros per year.
“Rheumatic diseases constitute the greatest single cause of physical disability yet, reliable statistics regarding the numbers affected by the disease in Europe, as well as the social and economic costs of the disease are not available” said Mr. Robert Johnstone, Chair PARE Manifesto and President Arthritis and Rheumatism International, a wheelchair user who has had RA since the age of three. “The European Union therefore needs to ensure funding for essential data collection on rheumatic diseases, including health economics research about the avoidable impact on society.”
Women in RA – A Union of Voices is a multi-faceted campaign that unites the initiatives of 11 national programmes held throughout Europe in 2006 in order to raise awareness and understanding of RA. The campaign calls on MEPs and European Decision Makers to address critical issues and create a coherent European Strategy for fighting rheumatic diseases.
“People tend to associate rheumatoid arthritis with growing old, so when I was diagnosed with it at 24, I thought my life was over,” said Ms Sandra Canadelo of Portugal. “Through the support of family and friends, as well as my rheumatologist, I’m able to help others understand and live with the illness. But this is only the beginning. RA needs to be researched, understood and effectively managed in all Member States of the European Union – and we all need to join our voices in this call to action.”
The Women in RA – Union of Voices campaign consists of several initiatives that illustrate the profound impact RA has on the lives of women living with the disease:
A Parliamentary debate will be held tomorrow (8 March), hosted by Ms Edita Estrela. Numerous Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) including Hiltrud Breyer, Kathalijen Buitenweg and Sophia in’t Veld will attend to hear the experiences of participants from the national campaigns. They will then be challenged to share their ideas on strategies to better address the economic and societal ramifications of RA in order to improve early diagnosis, prevention and care and to foster greater societal inclusion.
A Women in RA – Union of Voices interactive exhibition provocatively showcasing the women involved in the national campaigns will take place from 5th – 8th March at Brussels Luxembourg Train Station. Commuters passing through the station are being urged to stop and think about the dramatic impact rheumatoid arthritis has on the lives of millions of European women.
A dedicated website (www.womeninra.org) extends the reach of the campaign and coincides with the interactive exhibition at the train station. This features patients, MEPs and rheumatologists who share their experiences about RA online.
The exhibition culminates in a press event on 8 March, in the presence of Ms Maria Matsouka and other prominent MEPs as well as members of the European Commission.
“Almost one-quarter of Europeans – approximately 100 million people – live with arthritis or some other rheumatic disease. International Women’s Day, the story of ordinary women as the makers of history, is the right occasion to hear how women battle the disease and its implications every day,” states Ms. Edite Estrela, MEP and host of the Parliamentary Debate. “As representatives of European citizens, it is the duty of European Policy Makers to involve people with arthritis in creating a coherent strategy for fighting rheumatic diseases.”
About “Women in RA” and “Women in RA - A Union of Voices”
Women in RA is a series of national initiatives bringing together women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), doctors, national health advocacy groups, as well as national and European Members of Parliament to inform and mobilise medical, public health and political decision-makers. The programme focuses on RA by illustrating – beyond facts and figures - the disease’s physical, emotional and financial impact on the lives of women and their families. National Women in RA campaigns have been implemented in 11 countries including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
The European Women in RA – A Union of Voices campaign is an initiative led by People with Arthritis/Rheumatism in Europe (PARE) Manifesto. Its objective is to unite the efforts of the 11 national campaigns and promote closer involvement of patients in deciding health policy at both national and European level. European Women in RA – A Union of Voices is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Abbott.