About Don't Delay, Connect Today

In 2017, EULAR launched the Europe-wide campaign entitled ‘Don’t Delay, Connect Today’ with the goal to highlight rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) as major diseases and a public health concern of pandemic proportions, and that early diagnosis and timely access to treatment can prevent further damage and burden on the individual and society.

The campaign targets the public, physicians, health professionals, occupational health therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists and policy-makers. 

 

Why it matters?

They say life is short – so give it your best shot. For many millions of people in Europe the opportunity to design a good life is however severely limited by a chronic disease.

There are over 200 rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, RMDs. All of them can have debilitating effects on the individual, their life and career prospects, as well as national health care systems. 

Approximately 100 million people in Europe are currently diagnosed with an RMD, there are however at least 100 million more who are living without a diagnosis.

EULAR started the campaign, Don’t Delay, Connect Today in 2017 with the purpose of raising awareness around the importance of early diagnosis and access to care – for all.


Don't Delay, Connect Today Life stories
 
 

11-year-old Aran talks about his life living with a rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease
 
 
 

Meet Simon Stones who was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, JIA, at the age of three. Today, Simon is undertaking advanced studies at university to obtain a PhD, and speaks about his ability to take action to bring his life onto this track thanks to early diagnosis.

Simon believes in the importance of a collaborative approach between doctors, people including young people and their parents to enable successful outcomes for all. 

 
 

Kate Betteridge was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, RA, at age 13. Her family doctor successfully identified symptoms and within eight weeks an accurate diagnosis was made.

Early diagnosis enabled Kate to go on to fulfil her dream of becoming a journalist and to integrate the management of RA into her life, rather than letting RA dominate her life and passions

 

Watch the "Don't Delay, Connect Today" full video playlist


EULAR PARE Member Organisations' participation

Member organisations of EULAR PARE have taken part in the Don't Delay, Connect Today campaign with a series of activities.

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Slovenia

The Don’t Delay, Connect Today has been implemented in Slovenia with a series of activities organised by the Slovenian Association of Health Professionals in Rheumatology, in cooperation with the Slovenian Association of Rheumatic Patients.

Activities about the campaign that have already taken place are:

21 April: Educational event at the main bookstore in the Ljubljana city center.

8 May Presentation of the campaign at the Community Health Center Kočevje

12 May Presentation of the campaign at the annual meeting of the Slovenian National Rheumatology Society.

19 May  The Slovenian Association of Rheumatic Patients had a PR stand on Prešeren Square to mark the World AS day

29 May A campaign presentation in an educational event at the Development and Education Centre Novo mesto.

The aim is to promote early recognition of inflammatory rheumatic diseases among physicians and health care professionals at the primary level - and also at a wider public level. The campaign is the starting point for  informing, motivating and  supporting people to make small and sustainable changes that improve their health, such as making healthy choices including stopping smoking, improving diet and nutrition, increasing physical activity, losing weight and reducing alcohol consumption.

The events that are planned in the coming months are:

September: A meeting with the National Institute of Public Health.

1-3 October:  PR stand with information leaflet as well and educational events at the annual Festival for the Third Life Period (senior citizens) in Ljubljana.

12 October: Events planned to mark the World Arthritis Day in all 8 main hospitals in Slovenia.

A video featuring all the campaign activities will be shared soon.


Related Information
EULAR Campaigns

EULAR hosts campaigns to help achieve its goal in the area of Advocacy: to increase participation in work by people with RMDs by the year 2023.

Read more


Contact

For more information, contact publicaffairs@eular.org


EULAR PARE sessions at the EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology

A series of scientific programme sessions were held at the EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology around the Campaign Don't delay, Connect Today in order to provide further context to participants.

See playlist


Join the conversation on social media #dontdelay