By Aazer Durrani | Head of Marketing
Arthritis is defined as the swelling or stiffness in the joints. However, arthritis is also used to describe conditions that affect the joints, tissues surrounding the joint and other connective tissue. The most common form of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis.
Worldwide, the annual incidence of RA is approximately 3 cases per 10,000 populations, and the prevalence rate is approximately 1%, increasing with age and peaking between the ages of 35 and 50 years.
In the urban population of southern Pakistan, Karachi, the prevalence of RA is reported to be 0.142%, whereas in northern Pakistan the estimated prevalence is 0.55%.
Arthritis causes stiffness, swelling and pain in or around joints and is a recurring disorder which affects around 14 million people in Pakistan. Out of the affected people, 50% are above 71 years.
The specific cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known. Researchers suspect that two types of factors affect a person's risk: susceptibility factors and initiating factors.
Rheumatoid arthritis most likely occurs when a susceptible person is exposed to factors that start the inflammatory process. Approximately 1 in every 100 individuals has rheumatoid arthritis.
Gender, heredity, and genes largely determine a person's risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
The cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis is not known exactly. Even though infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi have been suspected as cause but not proved authentically. It is believed that the tendency to develop the disease may be genetically inherited. It is also suspected that certain infections or factors in the environment trigger the activation of immune system in susceptible individuals. This misdirected immune system then attacks the body’s own tissues and causes the disease.
Currently, due to COVID19, a lot of patients were being not treated in order to avoid contact with Corona Virus. As a result of which the number of patients who require free treatment has risen and the resources at Fatima Memorial Hospital are scarce. This has made it very hard to cater to the patient population which is ratcheting up. The patients flow has increased and there is huge number of patients needing urgent treatment. Keeping in view the above facts, we request our altruistic donors to support us in our cause of making Pakistan free from Arthritis!
With second wave of COVID19 pandemic on the rise, all our resources are being diverted in attending those patients. During these challenging times, we need more support from our donors so that these arthritis patients can also receive medical assistance and timely treatment. Your support in this regard is of utmost importance to us. `
We look forward to your ever increased support.
Thank you!
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