Virginia Arthritis Project

In 2000 the Virginia Arthritis Project (VAP) was created by the Virginia Department of Health to reduce the increasing burden of Arthritis in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VAP is administered by the Virginia Department of Health's Division of Chronic Disease and Prevention and Control.

The Mission

The mission of the Virginia Arthritis Project is to "Eliminate preventable arthritis and improve the quality of life of Virginians affected by arthritis and rheumatic conditions by increasing awareness and providing support through Public Health."

 

We are working to expand and improve services in the following areas:

• Raise awareness about arthritis, its risk factors, prevention, importance of early diagnosis, appropriate treatment and self-management.
• Track, collect, and analyze data on an ongoing basis to increase knowledge about arthritis occurrence and needs.
• Support interventions that improve the quality of life of persons burdened with arthritis.
• Foster partnerships and collaborative relationships with individuals, organizations and systems that contribute to reducing the burden of arthritis in Virginia.
• Collaborate and give support to arthritis taskforces throughout Virginia, including the Virginia Arthritis Task Force as well as local arthritis taskforces.
• Provide current arthritis information to policy makers and other community partners to aid legislative decisions.

The goals of the Virginia Arthritis Project are to raise awareness of the impact of arthritis as a public health issue, to ensure the delivery of effective interventions to those at greatest risk of arthritis and its complications, to decrease the burden of arthritis in Virginia by encouraging early diagnosis and treatment of arthritis symptoms, and improve the quality of life of people with or at risk of arthritis. The program supports the goals and objectives ofHealthy People 2010 for arthritis.

---