In 2024, JAFA’s fifth year, with the help of its supporters, collaborators, constituents and volunteers, JAFA added several ‘runs on the board’ taking awareness of JIA and CRDs to new levels; making significant progress on its Strategic Priorities; and engaging multi-stakeholders in achieving tangible improvements to the lives of young Australians with these diseases. See the report here for the highlights of 2024.

JAFA’s federally funded, national early diagnosis campaign is in full swing. The campaign is targeting GPs and other frontline health professionals to reduce critical delays in the diagnosis of juvenile arthritis and increase early access to effective treatment in order to reduce pain and avoid long-term joint and eye damage. You can help by giving your GP and pharmacist a hard copy of the pictured diagnosis ‘postcard’. To obtain postcards, please contact: edx@jafa.org.au and provide your postal address.

JAFA is proud to present My JIA, the ‘must have’ handbook for older children and parents, in three new languages: Mandarin, Vietnamese and Arabic.

These three new booklets complement the original English version which released in Australia by JAFA on World Arthritis Day 2023.

My JIA is a user-friendly guide to understanding what JIA is, how it is diagnosed and treated by health professionals including blood tests and medications. It also provides handy tips on managing JIA at home and at school

JAFA welcomes the support of frontline peak bodies and allied health organisations in its campaign to reduce delays in the diagnosis of juvenile arthritis from 10 months to 10 weeks which is set to change the lives of thousands of Australian children who have undiagnosed juvenile arthritis now – or who will develop it in the future.

19 organisations including the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Pharmacy Guild, the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association and Medicines Australia have committed to the Consensus Statement which is a product of JAFA’s federally funded national early diagnosis program and a joint goal of JAFA and the Australian Paediatric Rheumatology Group.

AJAR is a national registry of people aged 0-24 years with JIA (juvenile idiopathic arthritis) and related CRDs (childhood rheumatic diseases). It was established in 2023 as a partnership between JAFA, the Australian Paediatric Rheumatology Group (APRG) and the Australian Arthritis and Autoimmune Biobank Collaborative (A3BC).

AJAR is gathering national data on the number of children and young adults with JIA/CRDs to inform health services planning and JAFA advocating to increase funding for improved services.

713 children and young adults have now registered in AJAR. We are aiming to reach 1,000 by the end of 2025.

Registration is easy, quick and anonymous. Please consider registering by clicking on the link below.

You can also find out more by downloading the first AJAR report.

JAFA is proud to present the results of its landmark ‘IMPACT Study’ which detail the previously hidden physical, mental, emotional and financial burden of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and childhood rheumatic diseases (CRDs) on affected 0-25yr olds and their families and carers.

The IMPACT Study was conducted in 2023 via a national survey and provides the first comprehensive analysis of the personal and financial costs of these diseases. This study represents another milestone in the history of JIA and related CRDs in Australia.