Grassroots

Become an Advocate!

 The Arthritis Foundation promotes government and private sector action to improve the lives of the 46 million Americans living with arthritis. But we need your help to get more government funding for arthritis research, to encourage early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment, and to improve access to quality health care for everyone with arthritis.

Visit www.arthritis.org/advocacy/ for tools you need to become informed about the issues and to make your voice heard. You will find issue "backgrounders," Arthritis Foundation position statements, as well as links to other Web sites that may be helpful.

 Contact Congress -- Quickly locate your legislators and send a message

Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act Reintroduced in Senate

The Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act was reintroduced in the Senate (S.984) on May 6 by Senators Barbara Boxer (CA), Kit Bond (MO) and Ted Kennedy (MA).  Please contact your senators and ask them to be co-sponsors of the legislation.  In the House, the companion bill HR 1210 has 129 co-sponsors so far.

2009 Advocacy and Kids' Summit Recap!

Advocates from across the country came together on Capitol Hill, March 2-4, 2009.  They visited Senators and U.S. Representatives to let them know more needs to be done for people and children with arthritis.  Check out our first person interviews of the participants, including 7 year-old Mason Merager from Cody, Wyoming.  Click here.

 JA Registry Needed Now!  We need your help!

The Arthritis Foundation has been advocating for many years for the creation of a juvenile arthritis registry.  A JA registry would improve the care children with arthritis receive.  It would help pediatric rheumatologists make better decisions about the type of medications our children need and it could serve as an early warning system if there are unintended side effects or outcomes of JA therapies.  The Arthritis Foundation testified last month at the Food and Drug Administration recommending that such a registry be established.  Click here to find out more. 

Now is your chance to let the FDA know we want them to continue their commendable work in this area and make our dream a reality-a fully funded JA registry that would help our kids!

Click here to download the letter.

Submit electronic comments to
Public Comment and Submission Form

All comments should be identified with: Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0145