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Monthly Member Spotlight: Osteoarthritis Foundational International

 

July 25, 2019

Monthly Member Spotlight:

The Osteoarthritis Foundation International (OAFI) is the first and only foundation worldwide exclusively dedicated to people living with osteoarthritis (OA). Founded in 2016 and located in Barcelona, OAFI strives to lead the fight against OA by promoting education, prevention, treatment and research in areas pertaining to joint health and by offering solutions to people with OA. OAFI places the patient at the center of their efforts, helping people with OA reduce their pain and improve their quality of life while also raising awareness to prevent OA among patients with heightened risk factors.

We are excited to feature the work OAFI, as we share in their mission of improving the quality of life for patients with OA and disseminating a message of OA prevention. We appreciate OAFI’s efforts in the field of OA research, prevention, and patient care, and we look forward to our continue partnership.

An Interview with An Interview with Josep Vergés and the Osteoarthritis Foundation International

Dr. Josep Vergés
CEO & Founder, Osteoarthritis Foundation International

 

1. What is your organization’s interest in the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance?

OAFI is the Osteoarthritis Foundation International. We represent and take care of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) internationally. OAFI and OAAA share a common vision and objectives on this disease and being part of the alliance represents for us a means to reach more and more patients and learn from other international organizations working in the field.

2. What do you think is the most important issue today related to osteoarthritis?

OA is the most common chronic disease in the world (around 300 million people suffer from this pathology), and we all need new treatments to improve the quality of life of our patients. We do need more specific prevention programs.

3. How does your work connect to issues in osteoarthritis?

OAFI is OA; our work is to raise awareness on this disease and be the bridge between research, medical societies, policymakers, and patients. We are fostering research in OA, organizing educational programs focusing in particular on the vulnerable group. And above all, we are continuously disseminating and spreading our knowledge to help patients improve their quality of life.

4. What is a headline you’d like to see about osteoarthritis in five years?

Researchers have finally found a cure for osteoarthritis.

5. What is one interesting fact you’d like people to know about your organization?

We are the first Patient Association entirely dedicated to OA and we work for OA patient-centered and integrated care. We collaborate with Health Administrations, Medical Societies, Pharmacists, Nurses, Caregivers, and Physiotherapists among many others to create a community where OA patients are at the center.

Osteoarthritis Foundation International

Resources & Events

International Congress  – The III International Congress of Patients with Osteoarthritis 2019, organized by the OAFI is going to take place on October 3rd, 4th and 5th in the Axa Auditorium in Barcelona, as a part of the International Day for Rheumatic Diseases (October 12). The entrance to the Congress is free. Three days full of information, treatments, research and many activities for patients and also for health professionals who want to develop their knowledge about the disease.

OA PATIENTS TASK FORCE – Patients must be united if we are to advance in the same direction. For this reason, OAFI leads the implementation of the OA Patients Task Force, an alliance between the most important associations of patients with rheumatologic problems in order to work together globally with a focus on osteoarthritis. About 150 million patients are represented in the group’s work meetings, formed by the Arthritis Foundation (USA), and the Pan-American League of Rheumatology Associations (PANLAR), in addition to the Osteoarthritis Foundation International (OAFI). All patients associations working in OA are invited to join the OA Patients Task Force.

PREVENTOMICS– A project funded by the European Union in the H2020 framework focused on nutrigenomics to find personalized solutions capable of improving the health of people, in particular, those suffering from chronic diseases. The study will collaborate with entities from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, and Denmark.

 
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And make sure to connect with OAFI on social media!
   
 

                                                                                                                                         

 

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The Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA) is supported, in part, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Thurston Arthritis Research Center (TARC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the lead agency. Contents are solely the responsibility of the OAAA or TARC. 

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