Newsletter – October 2024

Webinar on Cardiovascular Disease and Arthritis

Register now for an education session planned on December 10 at 6:00 pm EDT about cardiovascular disease and arthritis. CAPA Medical Advisory Committee member, Dr. Bindee Kuriya, will present what we know and what practical steps you can take to manage these risks. She will be on hand to answer questions from participants – save the date in your calendar today! If you want to ask Dr. Kuriya any questions ahead of the webinar email them to director@arthritispatient.ca.

What have we been up to?

Advocating for Access to Protein-Based COVID-19 vaccines – Many people living with inflammatory and other forms of autoimmune arthritis have reported to have serious side effects (e.g. long-term disease flares) to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Unfortunately, the federal government has not ordered any protein-based (non-mRNA) vaccines. CAPA President, Linda Wilhelm, has been advocating for access to these vaccines and has been featured on CBC news and the Investigative Journalism Foundation website.

Coffee for CAPA Fundraiser Results and Raffle Winner – Thank you to all who participated in our annual #CoffeeForCAPA Fundraiser last month. We had sold over $4800 worth of coffee and earned $920 to support our work as a nonprofit organization. Congratulations to Lucy on winning the gift card draw!

Response to the Canada Disability Benefit Regulations – With Arthritis Society Canada, we offered feedback on the four key areas of the current Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) regulations. To learn more you can read the letter here!

Day on the Hill – On October 8th, we were among several groups that went to Parliament Hill in Ottawa to meet with MPs and policymakers to advocate for the 6 million+ Canadians affected by arthritis, specifically touching on:

Wait times to access healthcare professionals
Research funding
Access to treatments
Data infrastructure and access to patients

Get Involved!

Help Us Plan for 2025! – We want to hear from you to help us identify our priorities for 2025. How well are we doing? What more can we do to meet your needs? Take this short 10-minute survey (available in English and French) to share your views and what is important to people living with arthritis. For those who complete the survey, you will entered into a draw to be considered for three $50 Visa gift cards.

National Pain Awareness Week – November 3rd to 9th is National Pain Awareness Week, a collaborative campaign CAPA helped create that raises awareness for chronic pain and advocates for an action plan that implements access to timely treatments. Join the conversation by using the hashtags #NPAW2024 and #PrioritizePain on social media.

Register for the 9th Annual Patients Redefining the Future of Healthcare in Canada Summit! – Register for the Patients Redefining the Future of Healthcare in Canada Summit from November 19th to 21st at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Toronto, and online. This summit offers an invaluable platform to exchange ideas, learn from experts, and contribute to the transformation of healthcare in Canada.

Stay Informed

Shortage of Methotrexate in Canada – There is a shortage of Methotrexate Injection BP in Canada. In order to continue supplying the medication to Canadians, Health Canada has authorized the temporary importation of US-authorized Methotrexate for Injection, USP with English-only labels. However, there are key differences between the two and it is best to talk to your healthcare provider about this if you take Methotrexate.

Did you know October is National Occupational Therapy Month in Canada? – Earlier this year, as a continuation of our Life Hacks and Gadgets Project we worked with two occupational therapy students from McMaster University to understand how people with arthritis use assistive devices and life hacks in daily life. Over 250 people responded to our survey and the results were made into insightful infographics! Check out the infographics by clicking here.

Immunocompromised Voices – A new collaboration between our partner, the Canadian Immunocompromised Advocacy Network (CIAN) and Patient Voice highlights the stories of Canadians advocating for better protection and support for those with weakened immunity. Be sure to check out our very own, Linda Roy’s story about living with rheumatoid arthritis.

Back-to-School Drop-In Recording Available – Last month, we held a virtual drop-in on Parenting with Chronic Illness with Mariah Leach, founder of Mamas Facing Forward. Mariah lives with rheumatoid arthritis and shared some of her tips and tricks for parenting with a chronic illness. The recording is now available on our YouTube channel, where you can also find more videos on parenting with arthritis.