Previous World Arthritis Days

Here you can find out about previous activities for World Arthritis Day.

Events

2008’s World Arthritis Day theme for World Arthritis Day was ‘Think Positive’. This theme acknowledges that the challenges associated with arthritis/rheumatism can also affect you emotionally, but that there are a number of positive things you can do to help you feel better in yourself and get more from your life. Our campaign focused on improving access to psychological support and self-management courses to help enable people with arthritis/rheumatism to contribute fully to society and lead independent and fulfilled lives.

The theme for World Arthritis Day 2007 was that ‘small things matter’ for people with arthritis/rheumatism - those everyday challenges around the home, when travelling, shopping or at school, college or in the workplace. Two exciting new World Arthritis Day projects were piloted in 2007 and launched at the European Leagues Against Rheumatism (EULAR) congress. A personalised Health Passport to help you and your doctor make the most of your consultations and Video Diaries, highlighting that daily life can be full of challenges for people with arthritis/rheumatism, from dressing in the morning and struggling to open packaging, to trying to access transport or carry shopping.

The focus for World Arthritis Day 2006 was ‘Take Action!’ encouraging people with arthritis to exercise and for individual countries to raise awareness of its benefits. The theme was brought to life not only through simultaneous events happening all over Europe on this special day but also by encouraging people to make exercise a part of their life in the long term.

The theme for World Arthritis Day 2005 was ‘Living without Pain’. Pain is an everyday companion for many people affected by arthritis, but the right attitude and approach to handling it can really make a difference to someone’s quality of life.

The theme for World Arthritis Day 2004 was ‘Early Diagnosis, Less Pain’. It sought to raise awareness of the symptoms of arthritis and encourage policy makers and health professionals to give it greater priority on Europe’s healthcare agenda. A media campaign was held to highlight the lack of knowledge and data available on the prevalence of arthritis across Europe.

The theme for World Arthritis Day 2003 was ‘Arthritis and Sport’. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the importance of looking after the body to prevent arthritis in the future. Preventative measures were promoted on how to reduce the risk of developing the condition.