The nation’s joint problem – our CEO explains urgent need for new campaign

Published by Arthritis Research UK | 22 August 2017

Arthritis affects over 10 million people living in the UK. And yet how often is it talked about or represented on our TV screens, in magazines or newspapers? Over the coming weeks that's set to change with the launch of our new high-profile campaign.

Our research shows that over three quarters of people with arthritis think that society doesn’t understand what it’s like to live with arthritis and 78% said other people don’t understand the impact because they don’t look seriously affected. We want to change that.

Developed with the help of people with arthritis, our campaign advert depicts the impact of arthritis on one man’s life, while showing the knock-on impact on people around him. You can view the advert on our campaign pages now and it'll be shown on primetime TV and in cinemas from 26 August.

"Arthritis has a huge impact on people’s lives"

In the week that the campaign launches, we asked our chief executive, Dr Liam O’Toole, to explain why this campaign is so important: "Arthritis is still too often dismissed as just ‘aches and pains’ or an inevitable and accepted part of getting older. Yet arthritis has a huge impact on people’s lives. And with so many people affected by it, it also has a huge impact on society – with one in five GP appointments caused by arthritis and millions of working days lost each year.

"We need better solutions and support for people with arthritis. If we are going to create a world free from the impact of arthritis – one in which the needs of people with arthritis are understood and better catered for - the true impact of arthritis cannot remain invisible.

We're incredibly proud of this campaign as an organisation and we hope that people with arthritis will be proud too and support us in our mission to reveal, and then solve, the nation’s joint problem. You can help us by sharing the advert with people in your life, as well as sharing your own experiences of arthritis. So, please look out for it, talk about it with friends, family and work colleagues and if you’re on social media please visit our campaign pages and share our film."

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