Arthritis Action Plan
III. Background
In 1999 the National Arthritis Action Plan: A Public Health Strategy (NAAP) was published. Prepared under the leadership of the Arthritis Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and 90 other organizations, the NAAP was the last in a series of initiatives undertaken since The National Arthritis Act was signed into law in 1975. The Act specifically called for long range plans to address arthritis in America. In particular, the National Arthritis Action Plan laid the foundation for a comprehensive public health approach to reducing the burden of arthritis in the United States. The authors state in the Preface to NAAP that it is their hope "... the Plan will guide the use and organization of our nation's health resources to combat the greatest single cause of chronic pain and disability among Americans."
The National Arthritis Action Plan envisions a national public health strategy that will:
- Increase public awareness of arthritis as both the leading cause of disability and important public health problem in the United States;
- Prevent arthritis whenever possible;
- Promote early diagnosis and appropriate management for people with arthritis to ensure that they enjoy an optimum number of years of healthy living and life;
- Minimize preventable pain and disability due to arthritis;
- Support people with arthritis in developing and accessing the resources they need to cope with their disease; and
- Ensure that people with arthritis receive the family, peer and community support they need.
The NAAP describes four key values that underlie an integrated framework for addressing the challenge of arthritis. They are to:
- emphasize prevention,
- mandate the use and expansion of the science base,
- seek social equity, and
- prioritize building partnerships.
