A word from Philip

Kia ora,

As I write this column, we are slowly understanding Cyclone Gabrielle’s impact on communities throughout the North and East of the North Island. Our thoughts are with those whose lives have been turned upside down by massive disruption and loss. We are looking at ways to support people during national emergencies like this, especially those with arthritis. We know that everyday tasks are difficult to complete at the best of times, and these events make it more difficult.

We are also investing in several online arthritis self-management programmes to provide practical assistance for those with arthritis. We launched MyJointPain (www.myjointpain.co.nz) 18 months ago, which focuses on those with Osteoarthritisover 5,000 users have visited this site since it was launched. For those with rheumatoid arthritis, we are working with rheumatology nurses and some rheumatologists to develop MyRA, which is a website that will focus on providing better management and useful resources for those with RA. We hope to launch this in July 2023.

These self-management tools and a range of support through Arthritis Assist are practical ways to help those with arthritis within New Zealand. This would not be possible without all of those donors who financially support us. 80% of our funding comes from donations and grants, which enable us to provide these services.

We also appreciate the ongoing support from our volunteers, who continue to assist us in many ways. The recent Garden Amble in Whanganui (see page 15) was just one example of this support.

I don’t often get the chance to acknowledge our amazing staff and the commitment to supporting our vision of improving the life of every person affected by arthritis. They all go above and beyond to provide help, from assisting at the recent families and teens camps, taking phone calls or posting interesting articles online. I appreciate all of their efforts.

To everyone, take care, and as always, I am happy to receive your feedback.

Kia Kaha, Philip Kearney, Chief Executive

Accessible packaging video campaign

Arthritis New Zealand is part of the Accessible Product Design Alliance (APDA), an initiative by Arthritis Australia to promote the importance of packaging being easy to access for people with arthritis and other long-term conditions.

The ability to open packaging easily is an ongoing challenge for people with arthritis and has significant implications, including the ability to access food and medicines. Often individuals with arthritis can experience limited dexterity and fine motor coordination and typically have weaker grips than those without arthritis. APDA invited people to take part in an awareness campaign late last year