JAFA welcomes new policy on consumer engagement in research

This ‘Statement on consumer and community involvement in health and medical research’ from the National Health and Medical Research Council sets a high national standard and vision for embedding community and consumer involvement in all health and medical research activities.

JAFA was pleased to be involved in consultations and provided significant feedback throughout the development of this important national policy which firmly places consumers in their rightful place as partners in all aspects of the research process.

For Primary School Teachers

The JAFA is proud to present this short video to assist primary school teachers better understand the impact of juvenile arthritis and childhood rheumatic diseases on children’s learning and school life.

The video is designed to be held by parents/carers as a tool to help them introduce the topic or remind the teacher that the child with JIA/CRDs needs their teacher/s to watch out for and support them.

JAFA Launches Juvenile Arthritis Community Awareness Campaign

In another ‘first’, JAFA is delighted to announced its new Community Awareness Campaign for juvenile arthritis. Launched this week with a public message showing on TV screens in GP waiting rooms across Australia, this community focussed campaign complements JAFA’s ongoing program to support GPs and other health professionals to recognise and refer juvenile arthritis early.

We thank the Australian Government for funding this important program towards JAFA’s goal of reducing the harmful delay in diagnosising childhood arthritis from from an average of 10 months to 10 weeks.

AJAR Reaches 1,000 Registrants!

In a new and exciting milestone, the Australian Juvenile Arthritis Registry (AJAR) has reached its first 1,000 registrants.

AJAR collects de-identified information on 0-24yr olds with juvenile arthritis and other childhood rheumatic diseases.

AJAR is crucial for JAFA’s advocacy to improve health services and increase funding for better treatments and research.

Now for the next 1,000!

Let’s put juvenile arthritis firmly on the map.

Register today and change your child’s tomorrow!

Registration is easy and quick

Juvenile Arthritis Week 2026

Running from 16-22 March 2026, JAFA’s fourth Juvenile Arthritis Week raised community and health professional awareness of juvenile arthritis and childhood rheumatic diseases to to stellar heights with TV coverage, articles and radio interviews in mainstream, medical and health media across Australia. See examples of the coverage here.

And there’s more to come…….

JAFA 2025 Annual Report Out Now

JAFA is pleased and proud to present its 2025 Purpose and Impact Report which demonstrates the scope and extent of JAFA’s work and the significant progress that has been achieved in awareness and support for children and young people with arthritis and related rheumatic diseases. We are thrilled at the two awards JAFA has received in recognition of this and thank the JAFA Community, supporters, donors, pro bono advisors, staff and volunteers for making it all happen.

Expanded PBS Listing

JAFA welcomes the Jan 7 announcement by the federal Health Minister, the Hon Mark Butler, extending the PBS listing of Adalimumab (Humira) to include ankylosing spondylitis and enthesitis related juvenile arthritis. We welcome the easing of criteria for commencing treatment with Adalimumab (Humira) which will make it easier for children with arthritis to access this important medication early.

JAFA continues to work closely with the Australian Government and the PBAC to expand access to effective medications for all children and young people with arthritis.

Federal Health Minister earns JAFA Hero Award

Two very young and very beautiful JAFA ‘ambassadors’ recently presented The Hon Mark Butler with a 2025 JAFA Hero Award.

The Award is in recognition of the Health Minister’s contribution to raising health professional awareness of juvenile arthritis and for supporting a national three-year program to reduce current harmful delays in its diagnosis.

Now approaching the end of its second year and making a noticeable difference, the program targets GPs and those medical specialist professions most likely to see a child with undiagnosed arthritis and is a vital step towards significantly reducing pain and disability from this common but under-recognised childhood disease.

A World Arthritis Day Message from the Governor General

To mark World Arthritis Day on 12 October, JAFA’s patron, the Governor-General, Her Excellency the Hon Sam Mostyn, has sent us a heartfelt message paying tribute to all the children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and related childhood rheumatic diseases (CRDs) and expressing her hopes for a bright future through the collective efforts of JAFA families, supporters and the community.

JAFA sincerely thanks Her Excellency for her interest in children and young people with JIA and CRDs, and for her support of JAFA.

JAFA Awarded Small Charity of the Year !

We are delighted and honoured to be named Small Charity of the Year in the 2025 Third Sector Awards.

The award honours a small charity (≤10 staff) with outstanding mission clarity and community impact. This is a wonderful acknowledgement of progress made since being awarded the Emerging NFP of the Year in 2021.

Thank you and congratulations to the families, supporters, volunteers, Board and staff who have been part of JAFA’s soon to be six year journey.

Early Diagnosis Campaign

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.

My JIA Booklet in Six New Languages

JAFA is proud to announce that My JIA, the essential handbook for older children and parents, is now available in six languages: Greek, Italian, Punjabi, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Arabic. These translations complement the original English edition.

My JIA is a user-friendly guide that explains what Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is, how it is diagnosed and how health professionals treat it, including information on blood tests and medications. It also offers practical tips for managing JIA at home and at school.

A Giant Step Forward

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.

22 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.

Why JAFA?

Because the Juvenile Arthritis Foundation Australia thinks kids with arthritis deserve better.

It was founded in 2019 in response to the urgent need for a national voice dedicated exclusively to representing and addressing the needs of children and adolescents with arthritis and childhood rheumatic diseases.