Arthritis has devastating and debilitating effects on the lives of more than 700,000 British Columbia residents living with arthritis. Within a generation and as one of the provinces with the greatest number of senior residents, the number of B.C. residents with the most disabling and life-threatening types of arthritis – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis – is expected to significantly increase. To effectively treat and manage arthritis, the next elected B.C. government must improve the level of arthritis prevention, treatment and care.
Considering the prevalence of the disease and its significant cost to individuals and society, Arthritis Consumer Experts sent an open letter and a survey to candidates running in the B.C. election, asking each candidate to share how their government would improve arthritis prevention, treatment and care in B.C.
Any responses received by ACE will be archived and posted as they arrive.
ACE survey and party responses
ACE letter sent to each candidate included:
Email to candidates- ACE Survey: Share your plan for arthritis prevention, treatment and care in British Columbia
- Arthritis in British Columbia Fact Sheet
This section will be updated as we receive responses from individual candidates. Questions Voiced by the Public and Patients with Arthritis
- Will you consider arthritis a health priority for British Columbia and implement high quality, standardized evidence-based models of arthritis care for all B.C. residents?
- How do you plan to continue and improve virtual care?
- What will your government do to improve the healthcare and lives of Indigenous peoples living with arthritis in B.C.?
- How will you improve reimbursement access for medicines approved for inflammatory arthritis?
- Will you take steps to increase the number of rheumatologists and trained arthritis professionals to ensure timely, specialized care for British Columbia patients with arthritis?
- Will you improve joint surgery wait times so that they are within medically recommended guidelines?
Voting safely during COVID-19
Find out how Elections BC and the Office of the Provincial Health Officer are working together to ensure the B.C. election is safe for voters, candidates and election workers: https://elections.bc.ca/voting/voting-safely-and-covid-19/
Helpful Resources
Arthritis Consumer Experts
ACE thanks Arthritis Research Canada (ARC) for its scientific review of ACE and JointHealth™ information and education programs.