AARDA Launches New PSA Campaign in March for National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month

DETROIT, March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association Inc. (AARDA) has unveiled a multi-media public service/awareness campaign titled "We are 50 Million" to herald March 2011 as National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month.

The campaign is designed to educate the general public about the magnitude of autoimmune disease and its impact on patients, families and the U.S. health care system.  It spotlights the more than 100 known autoimmune diseases and the 50 million Americans who suffer from them, as well as the latest methods of diagnosis and treatment, and the most promising research on the horizon.  

The "We are 50 Million" campaign features television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) to air on national satellite, cable and radio networks, as well as patient stories aimed at traditional, new and social media outlets.  

Other 2011 National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness Month events scheduled by AARDA include:

• A U.S. Capitol Hill Briefing to members of Congress to present the report "The Autoimmune Epidemic:  The Financial Burden of Autoimmune Diseases to Your Constituents and the Health Care System" on March 22 in collaboration with the National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups.
• A free public forum in New York City titled "What Every American Needs to Know about Autoimmune Disease" on March 26 at New York University's Langone Medical Center.
• A mobile texting campaign to support autoimmunity research.  Supporters are encouraged to text A-A-R-D-A to 20222 and donate $5.

About Autoimmunity and Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune disease disproportionately affects women.  Of the 50 million Americans living and coping with ADs, more than 75 percent are women.  AD is one of the top 10 leading causes of death of women under the age of 65.  It encompasses more than 100 diseases, including type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and lupus.  It is responsible for more than $100 billion in direct health care costs annually.  

About AARDA

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) is the nation's only non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity as a category of disease and a major women's health issue, and promoting a collaborative research effort in order to find better treatments and a cure for all autoimmune diseases.  For more information, please visit www.aarda.org.

SOURCE American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA)