New Educational Initiative Urges People With Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) to Dedicate One Day so That They May Make a Lasting Difference to How They Live With Their Condition

Maidenhead, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

- My Day for RA Launches Across Europe Today: A Novel
'Goal-Centred' Patient Programme

Recognising that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can cause deformity,
disability and loss of independence without effective management - My
Day for RA, a new educational programme, launches today to encourage
people with RA to understand the impact that their condition can have
on their lives now and in the future. My Day for RA asks men and
women with RA across Europe to dedicate one day to learn more about
their condition and to set goals in order to feel more confident and
empowered. For resources on how to make the most of their dedicated
day, people with RA can visit www.MyDayforRA.com to access the My Day
Action Planner, an individualised interactive questionnaire, created
to help people with RA to develop a straightforward, personalised,
action plan for the future.

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http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/wyeth/38866/

"I urge people with RA not to accept the inevitability of the
disease, but to take control of their future and to take action to
best manage the condition," said Professor Robert Moots, Professor of
Rheumatology at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. "With
the right care and support, disease progression can be controlled
which may allow patients to continue living active lives and achieve
their goals."

RA is a chronic and progressive disease that affects 2.9 million
people across Europe. Although there are not always visible signs
early on in the disease, people with RA experience pain and fatigue
which can impact every aspect of their lives as the disease
progresses. For men and women with RA, everyday activities that are
often taken for granted such as getting up in the morning, going to
work or caring for one's family can become arduous tasks. Being a
progressive disease means that RA can cause permanent damage to the
joints, which could result in deformity and loss of independence over
time, as well as a decreased ability to work, potential surgery and
higher medical costs. Studies have shown that early and aggressive
treatment of RA may successfully stop disease progression, and enable
people with RA to continue living a productive lifestyle.

"Since the main symptoms of RA are pain and fatigue, many people
with RA expend so much effort on day-to-day living that they rarely
have time to think about the long-term implications of living with
RA," said Maarten de Wit, former Vice President of PARE, representing
organisations of people with arthritis in Europe, who has lived with
arthritis for over 30 years. "By dedicating a day now to learn more
about the condition and setting goals, I hope that people with RA
will be better equipped to manage their condition now and in the
future."

A Joint Effort in Support of My Day for RA

In support of My Day for RA, people from across Europe are coming
together to symbolically donate joints as part of a first-of-its-kind
Joint Effort to raise awareness of this initiative. All of the
donated joints link together to form an animated human body. As the
first supporters, international artist Luciano Micallef from Malta
and world-renowned jazz singer Chantal Chamberland from Canada have
both donated their hands to symbolise their support for the
programme. Luciano is a leading artist famous for abstract paintings
and modern portraits of various prominent personalities including the
President and Prime Minister of Malta and Benetton founder Luciano
Benetton.

"I donated a hand because as a painter my hands are the live
tools which manipulate paint and materials that give life to my
artworks. My hands are the extension of my mind which ultimately
deliver my ideas. It is for me inconceivable to live with RA and
being deprived of handling paint, building sculptures and creating
exciting artworks." said Luciano Micallef. "By 'donating' my hand to
the My Day for RA programme, I hope to encourage people with RA to
symbolically donate one day to learn more about their condition and
how to manage it effectively in order to live the most fulfilling
life possible."

Individuals and professional and patients groups across Europe
are invited to support the programme. If you would like to support
the programme by symbolically donating your joint, or would like to
support us in other ways, please visit www.MyDayforRA.com.

My Day for RA Pan-European Event

There are many people with RA who are currently effectively
managing their condition and living active, independent lives. In
recognition of this, people with RA who are confident that they are
managing their condition in a way that allows them to live a
fulfilling life now and in the future, will soon be invited to share
their own inspirational stories at www.MyDayforRA.com. Submissions
will be selected for inclusion in a celebratory event later in the
year to further motivate RA patients everywhere to manage their
disease and live life to the fullest.

My Day for RA was created by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Notes to Editors:

About Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic condition that typically
affects the hands, wrists and feet, and may also affect the knees,
hips and shoulders. If the condition persists over time, it can cause
permanent damage, including tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone
destruction and deformity.

ABOUT WYETH:

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Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven
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Health.

References:

References are available upon request

ots Originaltext: Wyeth Europa
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For further information, please contact: Wyeth: Gill Markham,
Communications - Europe, Middle East and Africa, Direct Tel:
+44(0)162-869-2536, Mob: +44(0)777-082-7753, Email:
markhagl@wyeth.com; OgilvyHealthPR: Nerea Hinzpeter, OgilvyHealthPR,
Tel: +44(0)207-108-6077, Mob: +44-7717320393, Email:
Nerea.hinzpeter@ohpr.com