President’s Perspective: The ACR and ARHP Advance Rheumatology Through International Collaboration

Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR)

This year we sent congratulations to APLAR for its upcoming 50th anniversary celebration. In recognition of the burgeoning strength of the field in a region with so much unmet need, the ACR will host an APLAR session at our 2014 annual meeting, where we will also celebrate APLAR’s 50th anniversary. We also look forward to presenting our review course at their 2014 congress in the Philippines.

Sharad Lakhanpal, MD, (left) and Audrey Uknis, MD, at the Indian Rheumatology Association meeting.

Pan-American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR)

The ACR is a proud member of PANLAR and provides review courses at their congresses, held every other year. We are currently developing an educational session for their 2014 congress, scheduled to be held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, next March. Beginning last year, we launched a partnership with PANLAR and the Society of Worldwide Medical Exchange to bring rheumatologists from developing countries in the PANLAR region to attend the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.

International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR)

A focus on the developing world led to a recent restructuring of ILAR. Now, its mission is focused on advancing rheumatology in developing countries. The ILAR Executive Committee—consisting of the presidents and presidents elect of the ACR, AFLAR, APLAR, EULAR, and PANLAR—represents the strength and the potential in our field. The collaboration of these organizations has resulted in a renewed commitment to support programs that advance the practice of rheumatology and provide critical education in countries with exceptional need. Now a structurally and financially sound collaboration, ILAR has distributed over $525,000 for worthy projects around the world under the directorship of Mark Andrejeski, At our meeting in June, the ILAR Executive Committee agreed to make $125,000 available for grant funding in the coming year, advancing rheumatology and meeting ILAR’s unique mission. We are pleased to provide a session at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting that highlights the important work of ILAR and gives our attendees an overview of the collaborative’s impact around the world.

Benjamin Smith, PA-C, (left) and Elizabeth McIvor, RGN, RSCN, MSc, at AFLAR.

Indian Rheumatology Association

For the last two years, the ACR president has been invited to the Indian Rheumatology Association meeting. Dr. Uknis had the pleasure of representing the ACR last November in Ahmedabad, in the historic state of Gujarat on the west coast of India. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our experiences and best practices, and to plan for the possibility of training opportunities that will help build the rheumatology workforce in a country with extreme unmet need.