Summer 2020 (Volume 30, Number 2)
Arthritis Society Tackling
COVID-19 Challenges
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The entire world is having to adapt to the demands of
the COVID-19 pandemic and the Arthritis Society is no
different.
Our patient education resources are helping thousands of
Canadians stay on top of their arthritis and cope with the challenges
of living through a pandemic, including our COVID-19
and arthritis information page (arthritis.ca/covid-19), our Arthritis
Talks webinars (arthritis.ca/arthritistalks) and our weekly
flourish newsletters (arthritis.ca/flourish).
At the same time, we have been working in partnership
with the CRA and other stakeholders to ensure the needs of
people with arthritis are not forgotten.
We’re pleased these efforts are bearing fruit, from the resolution
of the hydroxychloroquine shortage, to the designation
of medical cannabis as an essential service, to the inclusion of
hospital-based researchers in the federal government’s wage
subsidy program. These wins are a tribute to the collective will
of the arthritis community and our ability to effect critical
changes in policy when we work together.
The work doesn’t stop there however, as serious issues remain:
- Surgery backlog: Some provinces have begun to announce
plans to address delayed joint replacement surgeries, but
those plans will need funding and coordination, input from
patients, and will need to encompass all impacted Canadians.
- Drug access: Drugs in addition to hydroxychloroquine may
be at risk as the pandemic threatens supply chains. As well,
many Canadians have lost their jobs and drug benefit plans.
It is critical we ensure adequate supply and continued access
to necessary medications.
- Research funding: Researcher wages may be protected, but
research funding itself is shrinking. While COVID-related
research is a current focus, we cannot forget the importance
of sustained investments in health and chronic condition
innovations that will impact millions of Canadians.
We are calling on everyone in the arthritis community to ask their elected federal and provincial representatives to find collaborative solutions to these challenges. Find out more and show your support at arthritis.ca/takeaction.
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