Rheumatism and other arthritis diseases are physical disabilities as they affect the patient’s posture and limit their movement. Many patients use walking sticks, clutches or confined in wheel chairs. The Arthritis Association of Uganda has designed specific programs to support people with rheumatism but its efforts are still hampered by availability of adequate resources. The association has enjoyed some funding from DHF through UNAPD’s Rheumatism wing but the funding is not enough to cope with the increased number of PLWA and the many challenges they face.

• Absence of medical facilities and trained medical workers to handle the diseases. There is only one rheumatology clinic in the country at Mulago hospital and the clinic operates once a week on Fridays. The clinic and Uganda has one rheumatologist.
• The drugs dilemma, in Uganda one needs at about $200 (450,000/=) per dose for one month, most of the drugs are so expensive because they are privately imported without any government hand. This is a very big challenge to most Ugandans who barely survive on a dollar a day.
• Very little is known about the disease by health practioners and patients themselves, therefore the society and those affected struggle blindly.
• Patients become very weak, making unable to carry out their duties and activities of daily living.
• Assistive devices like neck braces and other joint support like splints are not available and let alone the expense.
• Services are far from patients, so they have travel long distances to attend the clinic as far as West Nile among other far places.
• Lack of counseling services to support the patients about the physical and social pressures
• Limited information available about self management, practical ways of reorganizing one’s activities of daily living and peer support
• Limited opportunities for income generation especially when it requires change of vacation due to poor health.
• The issue of doctor has many consequences; first the one doctor is overwhelmed for the clinic and let alone the whole country. Patients therefore come from far as West Nile to attend the monthly clinic, this is extremely expensive for the ordinary patient and let the doctor be absent the patients suffer tremendously