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
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11-year-old Aran talks about his life living with a rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease |
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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. |
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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.
Click the country and scroll down to learn more.
Cyprus
Read the press release here
The Don’t Delay, Connect Today campaign will be implemented in Cyprus by a series of events which will take place in Spring time 2018 and they will peak during the ‘’Awareness week for RMDs’’ organised in the second week of May by the Cyprus League Against Rheumatism (Cyplar) in cooperation with the University of Nicosia.
Through media and advertising the slogan Don’t Delay, Connect Today (translated in Greek) the public will be prepared for the campaign. At the second stage, the patient representatives, rheumatologists and health professionals will attend media talk shows, TV and radio broadcasts and will write articles in press in order to inform the public about RMDs and the importance of early diagnosis and access to the appropriate treatment.
Policy makers will be involved in a press conference and workshops will take place during the Awareness week for RMDs across Cyprus. A Rheuma-Truck which is a truck/bus equipped as a mobile clinic, staffed with health care professional will be moving in several places in Cyprus to examine people. The truck is provided by the University of Nicosia and it will attract people’s attention with several happenings such as flash mobs, teaser videos and technical effects. An online survey will be available for 60 days to explore the public awareness of rheumatic diseases and their symptoms.
The aims is of this campaign are to create awareness about RMDs to the public and involve the public, to encourage the people affected with RMDs to establish a good communication with their health care professionals, to lobby the policy makers to implement measures and strategies such as the early arthritis clinics in order to promote the early diagnosis and early access to the appropriate treatment.
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.
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.