The Middle East Arthritis Foundation (MEAF)is back with its signature webinar series from October 10th to October 15th 2021 to observe the World Arthritis Day, a global awareness day held each year on October 12th to help raise awareness among audience across the world of the existence and impact of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
The weeklong webinar series will have experts discuss the debilitating effects of these diseases. More than 100 types of these exist, unfortunately they are little known, but their impact however is largely and silently felt on the individual, their families, and the health care system.
With an estimated one-hundred million currently undiagnosed and trying to cope with symptoms that are often overlooked and frequently misdiagnosed, it is crucial to create awareness about the different types of arthritis for early intervention and treatment.
Many forms of arthritis, especially, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis,and rheumatoid arthritis affect a large part of the world’s population and impact their quality of life and participation in society, including access to the world of work. By creating awareness about the symptoms to look out for, and with the opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment, there is a high possibility for individuals to develop and execute a plan to achieve independence.
Dr. Humeira Badsha, Founding Member of the Middle East Arthritis Foundation commented,“Medical education has very little Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases(RMD) teaching; this means that symptoms often go unintentionally undetected, misdiagnosed or wrongly treated.People without access to rheumatologists, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, or to those trained in the RMD area are at a distinct disadvantage in their lives as a result. Hence it is crucial for us to create awareness about arthritis and for individuals to look out for symptoms leading to any form of arthritis.”
“The webinar series is our way of informing the audience from all communities to come together and to find a common voice to bring the much-needed attention to all the facets of this debilitating disease and its forms,” added Dr. Badsha.
The comprehensive, seven-day program will bring together a host of leading experts from across the region to discuss best-practice strategies and initiatives for improving quality person-centred care amidst the pandemic and across multiple settings, and will also detail the latest research, therapies and treatments, innovation, and technologies from around the world. The series will also create a greater feeling of connection with people living with arthritis, bust myths and showcase real-life stories of individuals leading a normal life with arthritis.
The sessions will have a lot of practical tips and advice from experts in healthcare to ensure that people with arthritis get the right treatment, care, and support they need to live well with their condition, especially during these difficult times.
The event will also address the common misconceptions of arthritis and will give participants an opportunity to hear directly from doctors, industry professionals, patients, and patient advocates about what matters most to them.
The virtual webinar series is free to attend and will cover an intensive program including:
- October 10, 2021–Commencing the educational webinar series for World Arthritis Week with “Emotional Wellness Day” where doctors will provide insight into the impact of Covid-19 and Arthritis, along with tips to manage health, wellness and stress.
- October 11, 2021– Focusing on Diet& Nutrition for Arthritis. This session will include information on foods to include or avoid in your diet if you suffer from arthritis, as well as some nutritional recipes to try, followed by a session on ways to maintain great gut health.
- October 12, 2021–Exercising with Arthritis. Experts and industry professionals will demonstrate mobility exercises and educate patients about Ankylosing Spondylitis, a rare type of arthritis that causes pain and stiffness in the spine.
- October 13, 2021–Medications to keep the pain in check. This session will focus more on the importance of medications for arthritis patients and shed light on another form of arthritis i.e., Psoriatic Arthritis.
- October 14, 2021–For the first time, the weeklong webinar series will also include a session in Arabic and Hindi/Urdu from an expert in the industry to create awareness among the target audience in their local language.
- October 15, 2021–To finish off the World Arthritis Week, attendees will be tuning their body with dance movement, yoga and qigong healing sessions.
The sessions are scheduled for 6 pm and to register for attendance for any or all of the sessions, during the World Arthritis Week (WAW) 2021 please visithttps://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_23iCGeZ3QHKdPTLiSj2xew
Additionally, a Symposium for Rheumatologists is scheduled for October 15th, 2021, for experts to shed spotlight advanced therapies for relieving pain, restoring function and renewing hope. To register, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3AvoY-wGSNmHKWLbYMLbcw
For more information about Middle East Arthritis Foundation, visit www.arthritis.ae, or follow the Foundation on Facebook: Emirates Arthritis Foundation, Twitter: UAEArthritis
