Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Thursday, April 22, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC Senator Kit Bond, Chairman of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions' Aging Subcommittee, today introduced legislation to prevent, treat and care for patients with arthritis.

"Arthritis has become a national epidemic and it is time for the federal government to fight back," said Bond. "This legislation will provide the investment needed to find new ways to beat this painful disease. The more we learn about how to treat and prevent this disease the more hope we can offer to the millions of children and adults living with arthritis."

Arthritis and related rheumatic diseases are among the most common conditions in the United States and can cause severe and chronic pain, swollen tissue, ligament and joint destruction, deformities, permanent disability and death. These diseases erode patients' quality of life and can diminish their mental health, impose significant limitations in their daily activities, and disrupt the lives of their family members and caregivers.

The Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act, introduced by Bond and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), expands the federal government's efforts to find new ways to prevent, treat and care for patients with this disease. Bond stressed that early diagnosis, treatment and appropriate management of arthritis can control symptoms and improve quality of life. The legislation will:

• Enhance the National Arthritis Action Plan by providing additional support to federal, state, and private efforts to prevent and manage arthritis;

• Develop a National Arthritis Education and Outreach Campaign to educate the health care profession and the public on successful self-management strategies for controlling arthritis;

• Ensure greater coordination and intensification of federal research efforts by organizing a National Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Summit to look at challenges and opportunities related to basic, clinical and translational research and development efforts;

• Provide greater attention to the area of juvenile arthritis research through the creation of planning grants for innovative research specific to juvenile arthritis, as well as the prioritization of epidemiological activities focused on better understanding the prevalence, incidence, and outcomes associated with juvenile arthritis;

• Create incentives to encourage health professionals to enter the field of pediatric rheumatology through the establishment of an education loan repayment and career development award programs.

"Senator Bond's legislation represents the first significant congressional action focused on the prevention, control, and cure of arthritis in over two decades," said John H. Klippel, MD, Arthritis Foundation President and CEO. "The CDC estimates that 70 million people are facing daily pain and challenges with the disease and the annual total cost of arthritis to the US, including lost productivity, exceeds $86 billion. 300,000 children are living with a form of arthritis in this country yet our government has made only a very small investment in juvenile arthritis research and many children across this country still do not have access to specialty care to effectively treat the disease. This legislation provides new hope to children and adults with arthritis as we work to learn more about the causes of the disease and accelerate the discovery of improved treatments and eventually a cure."

Bond served Missouri twice as Governor and now continues his service to Missourians in the United States Senate.