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Raising awareness is the biggest single thing anyone can do to make a difference to the lives of children and young people with JIA.
Increased awareness leads to earlier diagnosis, prompt treatment, and better outcomes. It reduces stigma and isolation. Increased awareness changes lives.
Around 1 in every 1,600 children is diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). This means that around 10 families in the UK are told each week that their child has this chronic autoimmune condition. We know that early intervention changes lives.
Sadly, delays in diagnosis are common due to a lack of awareness.
Lack of awareness also leads to stigma and isolation, as well as misunderstanding and a lack of support.
In 2025 we launched JAM JAR – Juvenile Arthritis Month by Juvenile Arthritis Research. Now, every March is JAM JAR – a whole month dedicated to raising awareness that children and young people get arthritis.
We also created the global #ThinkJIA campaign, designed to raise awareness that children and young people get arthritis. The campaign has sets of information for family members and for health professionals.
Still’s disease (also known as systemic JIA) is one type of JIA. There is a rare but serious complication of Still’s disease called ‘Macrophage Activation Syndrome’ or MAS.
We have a dedicated website about Still’s disease and MAS, with information for people with Still’s disease and for their clinical teams.
Behind the scenes we are also actively involved in a number of other campaigns and initiatives. These include:
WORD Day (World yOung Rheumatic Disease Day), a global day to raise awareness that children get rheumatic diseases such as JIA.
Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, campaigning to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.
National Voices, where we represent the needs of people with JIA at a national health policy level.
British Society for Rheumatology, developing national guidelines for the treatment and care of people with JIA and similar conditions.
PReS, the Paediatric Rheumatology Europe Society, as members of their Europe-wide JIA Task Force and to develop guidelines for supporting people with JIA across Europe.
EULAR, the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology, working with other patient organisations, researchers and health professionals in the field of JIA to make life better for those affected by the condition.
Connect Immune Research Partnership, building links between different autoimmune disorders so we can find more effective treatments sooner.
GIRFT, NCEPOD and JIA Learn, which are national initiatives to improve the quality of care for people with JIA.
As well as a host of other projects and campaigns working with national policy makers and international bodies, all focused on our core aims to support people affected by JIA.
