The ILAR Grants Program supports the growing need for global advancements in rheumatology. Since the program’s inception, ILAR has donated over a million dollars to fund 50+ Projects Worldwide. See previous projects on this page. For the current year’s projects, see Projects.
Advancing Rheumatology Education and Practice in Rwanda (AREP-R)
AFLAR / Rwanda
We propose a pilot educational program with the goal of increasing awareness and improving practice management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases among physicians in Rwanda.
Primary Healthcare in Rheumatology: Rational Resources Allocation
PANLAR / Brazil
COPCORD in Brazil -Toledo
InvestigaR: (investigación en Reumatologia) a web page in Spanish for research support and education in epidemiology, methodology and statistics for Rheumatologists in Latin America
PANLAR / Argentina
Develop a web page to receive queries, consultations, etc. related to research projects, and to provide education on epidemiology and statistics.
Integrated Efforts for Rheumatic and Lupus Awareness, Care and Education in Bangladesh (INTERLACE)
APLAR / Bangladesh
The proposed project INTERLACE6 aims to promote awareness, educate professionals, advocate policy reforms for better understanding of and access to rheumatic and lupus care services in Bangladesh. It will contribute to anchor a longer-term program to support expansion of access to rheumatology care in Bangladesh.
Mobilization and Sensitization efforts to increase community and facility level knowledge and skills in identification, care and management of Arthritis patients in Kawempe Division of Kampala, Uganda.
AFLAR / Uganda
Mobilization and sensitization efforts to increase community and facility level knowledge and skills in identification, care and management of Arthritis patients in Kawempe Division of Kampala, Uganda. The project also aims at educating all cadres of health workers in the clinics and health centers in Kawempe Division and care givers at home so that they can know how to manage those living with arthritis.
Increasing Community Awareness and Early Referral of Arthritis Patients
AFLAR / Peri urban slums of Namuwongo in Kampala, Uganda
Project Outcome
By increasing awareness of joint disease, the number of people seeking treatment for joint disease, and the number of people referred for joint diseases at the national referral hospital it is anticipated that people will become more aware about joint diseases and seek medical help early. This will help patients live positively with joint disease and teach them how to care for themselves better hence curbing further morbidity and mortality.
RMDs Public Awareness Program of Georgia
EULAR / Six Regions of Georgia including Tbilisi
Project Outcome
The desired outcomes of this project include:
(1) Enhancing the educational properties of PCPs and health professionals about importance of early diagnosis and timely accesses to evidence-based treatment for people with RMDs. (2) Improving patient education regarding their individual needs for optimal diagnosis and management of RMDs. (3) Increasing the of rate of early referral and early diagnosis of RMDs. (4) Reducing the rate of further damage and burden of people with RMDs. (5) Evaluating the distribution of RMDs in Georgia. (6) Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of a national strategy of early interventions. (7) Making an impact on the government level to increase availability and access to evidence-based treatment of RMDs. (8) Breaking down the barriers that delay early diagnosis of RMDs.
Educational Network of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Rheumatic Diseases in an Indigenous Argentinean Qom (Toba): Stage III of COPCORD methodology
PANLAR / Provinces of Chaco, Formosa, and Santa Fe Argentina
Project Outcome
The desired outcome of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate an intercultural education program on musculoskeletal diseases and RD (primarily of RA) emphasizing the importance of early detection and consultation with general physicians, and the indigenous people of Qom living in rural and urban areas of the Chaco, Formosa, and Santa Fe provinces. Another desired outcome is to implement a culturally sensitive network between the three different health care systems, working together with their migrant communities.
Patan Academy of Health Sciences Rheumatology Fellowship Program
APLAR / Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Patan Hospital in Lalitpur, Nepal
Project Outcome
With the help of this project, we would be able to support the training of two rheumatologists
each year. It will produce two well trained rheumatologists each year who will be rheumatology board certified by the Nepal Medical Council (NMC), which is the regulatory body for medical practice in the country.
Cultural Sensitivity Pharmacotherapeutic Programs of RA Patients from Indigenous Communities of Chiapas: A Strategy for Increased Adherence and Clinical Response to DMARD Treatment
PANLAR / Esquipulas Clinic, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México
Project Outcome
This project aims to generate a space within the Esquipulas Clinic to interact with patients and families and establish communication channels through health promoters/translators and health care personnel using visual and interactive (software-based) strategies to educate indigenous patients and health promoters on the disease and therapy characteristics, importance of treatment compliance, and the possible side effects. We consider that pharmacotherapeutic follow up procedures will improve, as this has been demonstrated in other chronic diseases by treatment compliance and disease outcomes, therefore improving the quality of life of indigenous patients with RA with cultural respect.
A Program of Capacity Building for the Provision of Rheumatology in Sub Saharan Africa
AFLAR / Ghana
Project Outcome
It is anticipated that the program will improve the leadership and clinical capabilities of physicians. It will enhance rheumatology care across Sub Saharan Africa through education and training of a diverse population of healthcare professionals. Furthermore, it will result in an increased understanding of populations about rheumatology and musculoskeletal disorders. Finally, it will create a sustainable workforce to ensure ongoing detection and treatment of rheumatological disorders. The provision of leadership training will enable the participants to gain the skills to be able to pass on their knowledge effectively and create sustainability within the system. Through the enhancement of knowledge and its application, it is expected that patient outcomes will be improved. By allowing public health education, it is expected that self-referral for treatment will increase and conditions be treated earlier.
Development of ILAR Recommendations and Guidelines for Post Chikungunya Rheumatism
APLAR / PANLAR – South and SE Asia / Latin America
Determine the burden and risk factors of post CHIKV rheumatism in Asia, Latin America and Africa, and develop evidence-based recommendations and clinical practice guidelines for acute and chronic CHIKV rheumatism in resource-poor settings.
Web Based Rheumatological Training for Health Professionals and Patient Education on Disease in Rural-Urban Nepal
APLAR / Nepal
Health care workers will be able to identify early manifestation of disease. Health care workers will be able to intervene early. Increase awareness of rheumatological disease in the community. Empower patients with rheumatological disease to identify problems.
Prevalence of Rheumatic Diseases in Aboriginal Brazilians
PANLAR / Brazil
Health care workers will diagnose rheumatic diseases according to the American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria. Once the diagnosis is established, they will be computed to define the prevalence rate. The rheumatologist will be responsible to assess the diagnosis frequency. Secondary outcomes will be the number of human resources identified to design the allocation strategy to supply the community’s needs. The human resources will be identified assessing the regional professional registries.
Chikungunya: Preventing and Treating an Epidemic Rheumatic Disease
PANLAR / Brazil
Increase the knowledge of health professionals, academics, and the population about ways to prevent the transmission of CHIKV by the mosquito vector. Encourage the formation of Academic Leagues of Rheumatology in university and the formation of nuclei for the study of CHIKF. Inform and train public managers about the need for investments in CHIKF prevention and treatment measures. Encourage clinical trials on the treatment of CHIKF chronic rheumatic disease. Promote rheumatology in public and global health. Disseminate current knowledge on the management of CHIKF.
Rheumatology Education and Training Program for Non-Specialist Clinicians in Lagos, Nigeria
AFLAR / Nigeria
Improve non-specialist physician confidence in the screening, diagnosis, and management of common rheumatology conditions in West Africa and enhance awareness of rheumatology specialty training through clinic and lecture learning. Improve non-specialist physician ability in the screening, diagnosis, and management of common rheumatology conditions in West Africa through clinic and lecture learning. Roll out education program to other secondary care centers in West Africa with a focus on orthopedic and HIV treatment units. Change routine biannual clinical assessment to include questions pertaining to MSK symptoms. Improve rheumatology care for large HIV seropositive cohort in West Africa by establishing a new rheumatology clinic. Raise awareness of rheumatology disease and training in West Africa during the National Conference Plenary Session.
Empowering Family Physicians: Fighting Disability
APLAR / Pakistan
Spread rheumatology education across the country by participants trained through this initiative. Ensure early recognition and management of rheumatological diseases by primary care physicians scattered across various geographical regions of the country.
Don’t Delay, Connect Today Sri Lanka
APLAR / Sri Lanka
Increase the referral rate to specialty clinics and increase community awareness of rheumatological diseases.
Extension of Rheumatology Education and Practice from a Tertiary Institution to Two Provincial Hospitals in Zambia
AFLAR / Zambia
Set up a rheumatology clinic in two provincial hospitals. Train two rheumatology nurses. Implement training for medical students and junior doctors. Create a database of patients with rheumatic diseases for the two sites. Set up a portal for patient communication with nurses and consultants when the clinic is not in session.
Rheumatology Education and Training Project in Harare, Zimbabwe
AFLAR / Zimbabwe
This project proposal is for funding to set up a national training program for medical students and post graduate doctors in Zimbabwe by initially setting a rheumatology clinic at Parirenyatwa & Harare Hospitals, Harare. This project proposal is for funding to set up a national training program for medical students and post graduate doctors in Zimbabwe by initially setting a rheumatology clinic at Parirenyatwa & Harare Hospitals, Harare.
Latin-American Center of Health Education for People with Lupus and their Caregivers
PANLAR / Latin America
The overarching goal of this project is to fill the gap of health education that exists for Latin-American patients with lupus and their caregivers, through the creation of educational resources and a social community that guides their learning and responds to their self-management needs.
Interactive Telemonitoring System
PANLAR / Mexico, Dominican Republic, Bolivia
This Remote Telemonitoring (RET) platform will be designed to increase the quality of health services by improving the access and overcoming barriers for distant populations or in geographic isolation. Additionally, it may enable a correct continuity of care, provide an advanced support to rheumatology services through a home assistance, avoid unnecessary costs and provide full education to both rheumatologist and patients.
GLEAMM: Ghanaian Lupus Education and Mobile Monitoring
AFLAR / Ghana
For SLE patients smartphone-based interventions including quarterly surveys and educational applications, can improve health literacy and resultant disease outcomes as measured by change in damage index and average disease activity scores.
Adaptation of the 2015 ACR RA Guidelines
APLAR / Lebanon
This project aims to provide clinicians in the Eastern Mediterranean region with recommendations that are both based on the best available evidence and reflective of the local context. This effort will provide a complete set of recommendations tailored to the region and will therefore help improve the clinical practice of rheumatology in this region. It will also provide a model that other developing countries can replicate.
Uniform Record Keeping for Clinical Practice in Rheumatology Clinics
APLAR / Sri Lanka
The aim of this project is to introduce a uniform record keeping practice for Rheumatology clinics in Sri Lanka.