The month of April has been declared as ‘Rheumatology awareness month’ by the Indian Rheumatology Association and for the last couple of years, we have been contributing in our own ways to raise awareness about this relatively late entrant into the field of super specialty in India. The Indian Rheumatology Association under the leadership of the current president has also formed an IRA public awareness committee which will be a lead for all these events across the country.

We chalked out a plan based on 3 categories : For doctors ( including us), for patients ( including support groups) and for laymen ( through media mainly).

For doctors

As far as initiatives from doctors, mainly our own members were concerned we asked the state chapter heads of the IRA to take leads in their states. And also those of us who knew specialists in different states asked them directly to plan activities.

A Walkathon ( walk for few km) with our without patients on the same day (26^th April, Sunday), also preferably same time  7-8am across the country was planned. We thought this would attract media too and have a better impact than randomly doing it. About 10-11 different places did this successfully. Most of it was also covered in the local media

CMEs with doctors including nurses ( at Ahmedabad), general practitioners, physicians/internists/other specialists eg orthopedics and allied branches – some with the local IMA chapters. Many of these were conducted at medical colleges so medical students would be enthused. At few places, patient support groups were also invited and hence patients also attended these.

Media coverage was planned – newspapers both local and national level ( eg TOI) in the form of articles by our president, secretary and other eminent and senior rheumatologists from the area. Radio bytes were recorded and played at some regions and TV interviews with eminent rheumatologists of the area, podcasts which were subsequently shared on social media were also planned. People were greatly benefitted from these as we got positive feedbacks. Celebrities were roped in wherever we knew them personally and many eminent personalities either attended these events or shared their own short videos/reels congratulating our association or talking about the illnesses – these also were shared on social media.

For patients

Support groups were invited to these events – new support groups were launched (eg vasculitis support group) and the advantages and dire need of patients taking care of themselves was validated with support group or patient leaders. Pamphlets were distributed at these gatherings on various diseases so patients could go through them. Most of these were under the logo of the IRA or state chapters. Interviews with patients either on TV/radio or social media were shared.

Infographics – the new way to explain things better were shared almost everyday by anyone and everyone good at it – on various aspects of the different diseases and these were shared with patients/ other doctors/amongst ourselves and also media ( put up on social media too) and others – many of us made it our DPs so people could read and understand.

For the common man 

Direct talks in simple comprehensible language at gatherings were planned wherein at least 2-3 of us rheumatologists talked to people – many of them healthy, on the myths and pearls related to rheumatology. All questions that were raised at these events were answered by the specialists.

Newspaper articles, radio messages and TV interviews wherein facts were shared eg the role of diet, exercises etc in rheumatic diseases. Common questions that are asked were answered to the best of evidence base.

At our clinics at many places including government hospitals, we put up banners and standees announcing the April awareness month and some information about rheumatologists and our illnesses. Relatives of patients who accompanied them also saw these – it was an attempt to spread the right information on these.

All in all many different activities were carried out at various places across the country from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu/Keralam and Gujarat to West Bengal and the north east. So much is done and yet more is to be done so that time is not lost and the morbidity and mortality from rheumatologic illnesses is minimized and out patients lead an as far as possible, a near normal life.

On behalf of the Indian Rheumatology Association,

Arghya Chattopadhyaya

Benzeeta Pinto

Keerthi Talari Bommakanti

Sapan Pandya

(The IRA public awareness subcommittee)