Raising public awareness about the scale and impact of arthritis, empowering people with arthritis and involving them in policy development are just three of the ten key principles outlined in the Manifesto for the Third Millennium.

Launched at the EULAR Congress 2000, the manifesto was prepared by three international organisations: Arthritis and Rheumatism International, the standing committee of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Social Leagues and the International Organisation of Youth with Rheumatism. "People with arthritis make up the largest population of individuals living with a long-term medical condition, said the chairman of the manifesto steering committee, Richard Gutch (chief executive of Arthritis Care, UK). It is critical that our government leaders and the public recognise that current levels of support and services for people with arthritis must be improved, enabling them to live as independently as possible. Our new manifesto gives a strong, unified voice to these needs.

The manifesto brings together the concerns of people with arthritis across Europe and their vision for the future. It will be used to lobby individual governments and be used to lobby the European Union. The aim is for arthritis to be featured as a priority in the European health agenda and by national governments.

EULAR congress president Professor Hubert Roux welcomed the manifesto as an important document. It is important to remind all people concerned that as we live in a democracy in Europe this represents over 100 million voters and this is something that politicians are likely to be attentive to.

December 2000