European Parliament commits to improving the lives of people with arthritis

The European Parliament will this week adopt a key set of priorities that it is hoped will start to improve the lives of people with arthritis across Europe.

The written declaration for rheumatic diseases was tabled in January 2008 following the efforts of an alliance called People with Arthritis/Rheumatism in Europe (PARE), of which Arthritis Care is an active member.

Further campaigning by PARE and its parent body, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), helped the declaration obtain the signatures of a majority of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Having achieved this, the activities outlined by the declaration will be adopted by the three branches of the European Union.

The written declaration highlights the prevalence and the human and economic cost of arthritis and outlines some of the measures which could improve outcomes for people living with the condition.

It also sets out four clear actions that will help to achieve this:

• “attach more importance to rheumatic diseases in the new Community strategy on health, given their high social and economic costs;
• encourage Member States to establish and promote the implementation of national plans to fight rheumatic diseases;
• develop a Community strategy on rheumatic diseases and draw up a Council recommendation on the early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases;
• develop a strategy to improve access to information and medical treatment”.

Neil Betteridge, chief executive of Arthritis Care and a PARE board member, was delighted at the news: “This is a substantial achievement as only a small number of written declarations are adopted each year. This offers a strong indication of the growing profile of arthritis throughout Europe and recognition of the changes that need to be happening”.

You can find the full text of the written declaration by clicking here (opens PDF).