Meets the I contest of photography on rheumatic diseases to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis.

-For the first time different points of Spain patients associations join forces to organize this event, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of attending the specialist in the first six months of the disease

-an early diagnosis reduces the impact of the disease and its associated costs, including the labour

-the event has a specific category for health professionals, which can send pictures to show the impact of the disease in the patient

Madrid, March 2012.- the national coordinator of arthritis (ConArtritis), the Spanish Coordinator of ankylosing associations, the Galician Reumatolóxica League and la Liga rheumatological Catalana, in collaboration with Abbott, have teamed up to convene the I contest of photography on rheumatic disease. The contest, open to the participation of patients, medical and general population, aims to draw attention to the importance of early diagnosis to reduce the individual and social impact of these pathologies, as well as the fundamental role of the doctor-patient relationship and the involvement of the patient in the progression of the disease.

An early diagnosis is key to improved therapeutic response and reduces the impact of the disease in the patient and its surroundings, as well as lead to a significant reduction of health and labor costs. In fact, rheumatic diseases are the main cause of temporary disability in Spain, with a total of 39 million sick days a year among all patients, according to data from the report health and work.

Therefore the organisers of this photography contest I seek to raise awareness in society about the need to go to the specialist when they began to emerge early symptoms. In this sense, more than 10 millions of Spaniards older than 20 years, according to the same report, currently suffer from some sort of rheumatic disease, among which stand out, its impact and prevalence, rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis.

The FAPE and ANIGP-TV, among the members of the jury

The jury will be composed by the General Secretary of health and consumption of the Ministry of health, social services and equality, Pilar Farjas; the President of the Federation of associations of journalists of Spain (FAPE), Elsa González; the President of the National Association of informers graphics press and television (ANIGP-TV), Luis Mariano Martínez; the President of the national coordinator of arthritis, Antonio I.Torralba; the representative of the national coordinator of Spondylitis, Pedro Plazuelo; the League rheumatological Gallega, Ana Vazquez, President and Vice-President of the Rheumatology Lliga Catalana, Dàmaris Juan.

Occupational categories for general population, patients and health

The bases of the contest are available here. There are three different categories: general public, doctors and patients associations, each endowed with a prize of 1,200 euros. Also, will be awarded a Canon camera to the image that is more voted by persons who have access and choose the best photography on the web.

Each participant may submit up to three works, which may consist of single pictures or series of three. In any case, images, which must be previously unpublished and having been submitted in previous contests, may be in black and white or color. The selected works will be part of an exhibition in which the best will attend 40 works.

The deadline for the receipt of work began last Wednesday and will conclude at 15: 00 hours of May 30, 2012. Pictures will be presented in digital format and are sent by e-mail to the address certamenfotografia@ketchumpleon.com. The works should be in JPG format with a minimum of 500 KB and a maximum of 8 MB digital resolution.

On rheumatic diseases

Musculoskeletal or rheumatic (ER) diseases are usually manifested by inflammation of the joints of the extremities and are characterized by intense pain. Under this name, are more than 200 ailments including, by its high prevalence, rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis.