An Arthritis Walk event themed “Living Better Ageing Well” was held to commemorate World Arthritis Day (WAD) at Taman Keliling, Seremban. It’s an annual event organised by Pertubuhan Artritis Negeri Sembilan (PANS). The objective of this event is to raise awareness for inflammatory arthritis.

The walk began from the park on a 1.5 KM route and ended at the National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO). An estimated number of 500 participants from all walks of life; arthritis patients, family, friends and the public joined in the pledge to Unite To Fight Arthritis.

Registration began at 7 AM and participants were given a WAD t-shirt. A slip of paper with the colours of WAD will be given to participants to write their message of hope or vision, which would be exchanged for a WAD flag. This message of hope/vision will subsequently be pasted on the WAD banner at NCWO.

A short warming up session took place before the walk kicked off at 8.15 AM, with participants walking towards NCWO with the WAD flag.

The VIPs who officiated the event were Dato’ Dr Gun Suk Chyn (President of Pertubuhan Arthritis Negeri Sembilan [PANS], Mr. Muru Annamalai (Abbvie Regional General Manager Asia South), Dato’ Dr Hjh Zailan Binti Dato’ Hj Adnan (Pengarah Kesihatan Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Sembilan), Dato’ Dr Ja’afar Che Mat (Pengarah Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar Seremban) and Datin Paezah Ismail (wife of YB Dato’ Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan).

A number of activities awaited participants at the NCWO; an Adabi Kitchen cooking demonstration by a chef on healthy cooking and on-the-spot food tasting, a selection of Malaysian fruits stall providing fresh fruit juice (by Roche), rojak, ice cream potong and muffin and a mini garden workshop.

The mini garden workshop (for PANS member) was conducted by Abbvie, the main sponsor for this event, where participants created their own “mini garden” with materials provided (e.g. soil, paint, brushes). Participants will choose their plant of choice (e.g. cactus) to be planted into a small flower pot, on which they will paint according to their creative whims.

Other activities being held simultaneously at a nearby hall were an arthritis clinic talk on disease awareness, quizzes, exercise session, DIY cup cake-making workshop (by Janssen) and a paper windmill-making session (by staff of Hospital Tuanku Ja’afar Seremban) as well. All these activities were specifically designed to encourage arthritic patients to lead an active life and get moving to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis which is a highly degenerative disease of the joints.