In his twenties, Demos found himself relying on his grandmother’s cane just to walk. “My arthritis was so severe that every step felt impossible,” he recalls. But a biologic medication — developed through research like that funded by Arthritis Society Canada — transformed his life.
“I’m teaching, moving, and even playing soccer with my son. Research didn’t just improve my life; it gave me my life back.”
Stories like Demos’ show what arthritis research can accomplish. But they also highlight what’s at risk as funding declines.
A major health challenge with shrinking investment
Arthritis affects six million people in Canada — more than diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and dementia combined. It is the country’s number one cause of disability, yet research funding is moving in the wrong direction.
Recent data show:
The impact is immediate. Last year, Arthritis Society Canada received far more high-quality proposals than it could support — leaving over 70% of strong, peer-reviewed projects unfunded. That represents 46 promising studies and more than $6 million in research left on the table.
“These are credible, high-quality proposals,” says Dr. Siân Bevan, Chief Science Officer. “Every unfunded project represents a lost opportunity to stop arthritis from stealing mobility, independence, and quality of life.”
Breakthroughs are within reach — if funding keeps up. Explore the progress of the last decade — and why continued investment matters more than ever. Read the blog here ›
“We’re on the edge of discoveries that could transform the future of this disease,” Dr. Bevan notes. “We cannot afford to lose that progress now.”
A national issue that deserves national commitment
“Arthritis is too often dismissed as minor or inevitable, yet it’s one of the most debilitating chronic diseases in Canada,” says Trish Barbato, President & CEO. “Underfunding it isn’t just a health issue — it’s a national crisis with serious economic and social consequences.”
Canada cannot afford to overlook a disease that costs the country more than $33 billion annually and limits millions of lives. The way forward depends on all of us.
Arthritis Society Canada is the country’s largest charitable funder of arthritis research, but philanthropy cannot meet the need alone. If Canada is to build a modern, equitable, evidence-based health system, arthritis research must be core to the national agenda.
The breakthroughs of the next decade depend on the choices we make today. Help fuel the research that can change lives.
