The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 NewsACR Convergence
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
      • Psoriatic Arthritis
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / ‘Battle for Health Justice’: Dr. Alakija Addresses Global Rheumatology Inequities

‘Battle for Health Justice’: Dr. Alakija Addresses Global Rheumatology Inequities

November 10, 2021 • By Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Dr. Alakija also had a strong message for younger ACR members, urging them not to wait for others’ leadership if they see an inequality at their institution or elsewhere that should be addressed. “It is only by each one in our corners speaking out that we will build this critical mass. That is how we are going to build these bridges, that is how we are going to foster dialogue and that is how we are going to achieve health equity.” 

You Might Also Like
  • 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Global Challenges in Rheumatic Disease Care
  • Inaugural ACR Distinguished Global Public Health Award Presented to Dr. Fauci
  • 2017 ACR/ARHP Meeting to Highlight Global Educational Opportunities for Rheumatology Health Professionals
Explore This Issue
December 2021
Also By This Author
  • Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Rates & Outcomes

‘As a global health community, we have to find a way forward for health equity—not just in this [COVID-19] crisis, but also going forward. … This is a call to action & a challenge for you to see what you can do.’ —Dr. Alakija

Unmet Needs in Rheumatology 

At sessions throughout the day, many of the presenters returned to some of the key themes of access to healthcare, health equity and collaboration introduced by Dr. Alakija.

Worldwide, access to rheumatologic care and treatment poses a huge challenge, especially in lower income countries, where the unmet needs are greatest. Globally, millions suffer from rheumatologic and musculoskeletal health conditions, and the majority live in the most populous countries of Asia, Africa and South America.2 But disparities also exist in mid- to higher income countries, particularly in rural areas, where people may lack access to adequate diagnosis and treatment.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The workforce deficits needed to fully address pediatric rheumatology are particularly acute. Data from 2011 indicated the total international pediatric rheumatology workforce is at 12% of demand, with the U.S. possessing 40% of the total group.3 Up to 7 million children suffer from rheumatic disease around the globe, with 78% living in Africa or Asia.3 

Global Burden of Disease 

Public health professionals and policy makers don’t always understand the true burden of disease from rheumatic conditions, and often don’t make them a public health priority.

As part of the Global Researcher Spotlight session, Christopher Murray, MD, DPhil, chair of health metrics science and director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Seattle, highlighted an important aspect of this. In his presentation, he shared insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study, an effort to systematically quantify the magnitude of health loss around the world.4 

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

We’ve made significant progress over the past few decades reducing disparities in terms of childhood mortality, maternal mortality and deaths from infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria, noted Dr. Murray. This reflects the priorities in the United Nations’ millennium development agenda, set out to help address the needs of the world’s poor. However, less progress has been made in terms of non-communicable diseases.4

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | Single Page

Filed Under: ACR Convergence, Meeting Reports, Professional Topics Tagged With: ACR Convergence 2021, InternationalIssue: December 2021

You Might Also Like:
  • 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Global Challenges in Rheumatic Disease Care
  • Inaugural ACR Distinguished Global Public Health Award Presented to Dr. Fauci
  • 2017 ACR/ARHP Meeting to Highlight Global Educational Opportunities for Rheumatology Health Professionals
  • Global Life Expectancy Rises, but People Live Sicker for Longer

About Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD

Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD, was born and raised in eastern Kentucky, where she first cultivated her love of literature, writing and personal narratives. She attended Kenyon college, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, summa cum laude. She worked with individuals with psychiatric conditions and later in a neuroscience lab at the University of Illinois, Chicago, before graduating from Indiana University Medical School in 2011. Instead of pursuing clinical medicine, Ruth opted to build on her strength of clearly explaining medical topics though a career as a freelance medical writer, writing both for lay people and for health professionals. She writes across the biomedical sciences, but holds strong interests in rheumatology, neurology, autoimmune diseases, genetics, and the intersection of broader social, cultural and emotional contexts with biomedical topics. Ruth now lives in Bloomington, Ind., with her husband, son and cat. She can be contacted via her website at ruthjessenhickman.com.

View more by this author»

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Cookie Preferences

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2023 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)