Federal Leaders Address Government Response To Juvenile Arthritis

Seeking to address the complex and
life- altering challenges of juvenile arthritis, national political,
medical research and public health leaders will focus on the issue at a
special town hall meeting during the upcoming Arthritis Foundation Juvenile
Arthritis Conference in Atlanta on July 15, 2006.


In a unique juvenile arthritis state of the union address, federal
leaders will discuss legislation, healthcare policy, research and other
issues of vital importance to children and their families. Invited guests
include:


- The Honorable Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) - United States Senator
- Leading the fight against juvenile arthritis in Congress


- Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., MPH - Director, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention


- The public health response to childhood arthritis


- Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D. - Director, National Institute of
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes
of Health.


- The future of juvenile arthritis research


- Denise Dougherty, Ph.D. - Senior Advisor, Child Health and Quality


-
Improvement, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
- Quality care for children with arthritis


- Emily Smith - 14-year-old with juvenile arthritis


- Janalee Taylor, MSN, RN, CNS - Chair, Arthritis Foundation American
Juvenile Arthritis Organization


- John H. Klippel, M.D. - President and CEO, Arthritis Foundation


-
"This is the first time officials from federal agencies are coming
together to focus on juvenile arthritis and how to help kids with the
disease," said John H. Klippel, M.D., president and CEO of the Arthritis
Foundation.


The future outlook is both positive and negative. Challenges include:
- Delays in diagnosis and treatment due to a shortage of board certified
pediatric rheumatologists in the United States - there are only 200.
- Limited research funding -- on average only $40 per child is currently
spent on juvenile arthritis research.


On the positive side:


- The new generation of medications and treatment strategies are limiting
the destructive impact of juvenile arthritis.


- New treatment strategies that call for immediate and aggressive
treatment are being found to slow or stop the damage to a child's body
and joints.


Juvenile arthritis affects 300,000 children and is devastating to
children and families. In some cases it can cause deformity, blindness and
even death. "Bringing together federal leaders to address this important
issue is one of the first steps in helping prevent and control juvenile
arthritis," said Klippel.


The Arthritis Foundation juvenile arthritis town hall meeting will take
place on Saturday, July 15, from 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. at the Omni Hotel at
CNN Center in downtown Atlanta.


The Arthritis Foundation is the only nationwide, not-for-profit health
organization helping people take greater control of arthritis by leading
efforts to prevent, control and cure arthritis and related diseases -- the
nation's number one cause of disability. For free information, contact the
Arthritis Foundation at 800-568-4045 or on the Web at arthritis.


Arthritis Foundation

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