At Arthritis Ireland we are dedicated to eliminating arthritis as a major health problem and to improving the lives of those living with the condition.

We do this by:

• Funding high quality research into the causes, treatments and cures for arthritis. The organisation has raised €4m to fund the establishment of academic chairs of rheumatology through the medical schools in Ireland. This is essential to raise the standards of academic rheumatology amongst medical students and to ensure that Ireland is at the forefront in the continuing search for answers to this disabling condition.
• Educating and informing patients, the general public and health professionals on all aspects of arthritis. We provide accurate and accessible information, such as our wide range of patient booklets and this website, our ground breaking courses to help people self-manage their disease and vital support delivered by our national arthritis helpline.
• Campaigning for better patient services and treatments for all those living with arthritis. We do this through professional and effective engagement with the key decision makers, such as the HSE and Department of Health & Children, and through strong advocacy work provided by our nationwide network of volunteers. Arthritis is a huge issue in Ireland and set to get worse with the increasing age of our population. Ireland currently has one of the lowest ratios of rheumatologists per head of population in the world (1 per 400k population) and significant under resourcing of important allied health professional support such as nurse specialist, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.