The European League against Rheumatology launches a new challenge: capturing 100,000 people waving their support for people with rheumatic diseases
The European League Against Rheuma (EULAR) and Bioibérica Farma are calling upon citizens, patients associations and Spanish organizations to participate in a worldwide campaign to raise awareness against rheumatic diseases Anyone who wants to contribute should submit a photography or video capturing people waving their support to the following website: http://www.worldarthritisday.org/waving Every picture will become a pixel within a giant picture that will be displayed on October 12th, World Arthritis Day.
An estimated 18 percent of all Spaniards older than 20, suffer from some kind of rheumatic disease. These include, among others, diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis or lupus, which affect the locomotor system, that is, bones, muscles, tendons and joints. Of these, the most common is osteoarthritis, a chronic, inflammatory disease which basically affects knees, hips, hands or spine, and causes pain and functional disability. Furthermore, osteoarthritis causes more than 30 percent of work disabilities in Spain, both temporary as well as permanent, as well as 35% of all visits to primary care services. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) osteoarthritis ranks fourth in the list of the ten most disabling diseases for every year lived.
To commemorate the World Arthritis Day, the European League against Rheumatology (EULAR) has launched an awareness-raising initiative. Their aim is capturing 100,000 pictures of people waving hands, flag, or waving in unusual places to encourage patients to be physically active. The pictures can be easily uploaded at the following website www.worldarthritisday.org/waving until September 16th, 2012. Every picture will become a pixel within a giant picture that will be displayed on October 12th, World Arthritis Day.
Every person waving counts-this is a great opportunity to get together with family, friends, working colleagues and participate says José Escaich, Bioibéricas chief executive. Waving our hand is a small thing, but a big gesture that shows our support to rheumatic patients. At Bioiberica Farma we fully support this action and we want to encourage everyone to participate and to place Spain among the most active countries, he added.
To read further info about rheumatic diseases:
