WORD Day 2021
Thursday 18 March 2021
WHAT is WORD Day?
World yOung Rheumatic Diseases Day is an annual event that takes place on the 18th of March. Through the international networks of PReS and ENCA, diverse local events will be designed and implemented by local organising committees in each country, to be run in hospital, universities and public areas (e.g. schools, museums, town centres). These include information stalls, talks and performances given by patients, information and training events for healthcare professionals, ‘peer education’ workshops involving medical student organisations.
WORD Day also includes several social media campaigns including the patient voice, patient organisations and charities, promotional, educational videos, radio and TV interviews with patients and doctors, each directed at a specific audience. In particular, WORD day will target doctors who are the first health professionals to come into contact with these patients (e.g. general paediatricians), parents, other health practitioners, educators.
WHY WORD Day?
The ultimate aim of WORD Day is to raise the awareness and knowledge level of parents, doctors, primary practitioners, teachers, and the general public to help first and foremost in early diagnoses, and a quick referral to specialised paediatric rheumatologists. We hope that awareness will have a ripple effect on all levels of practitioners who come in contact with these children, improving the level of treatment they receive and their prognosis worldwide.
