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To report the cumulative articular and extraarticular damage in Arab children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and to identify variables that correlate with disease damage. We conducted a multicenter, cross‐sectional study among 14 pediatric rheumatology centers from 7 Arab countries. JIA patients who met the International League of Associations for Rheumatology classification criteria and had a disease duration of >1 year were enrolled. Disease activity status was assessed using the Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report. Disease damage was assessed by the Juvenile Arthritis Damage Index, articular (JADI‐A) and extraarticular (JADI‐E). A total of 702 (471 female) JIA patients with a median age of 11.3 years (interquartile range [IQR] 8.0–14.0 years) were studied. Median age at disease onset was 5 years (IQR 2.0–9.0 years) and the median disease duration was 4 years (IQR 2.0–7.0 years). The most frequent JIA categories were oligoarticular JIA (34.9%), polyarticular JIA (29.5%), and systemic JIA (24.5%). Clinical remission was achieved in 73.9% of patients. At the last clinic visit, 193 patients experienced joint damage, with a mean ± SD JADI‐A score of 1.7 ± 4.5, while 156 patients had extraarticular damage, with a mean ± SD JADI‐E score of 0.5 ± 1.1. Patients with enthesitis‐related arthritis had the highest JADI‐A score. JADI‐A correlated significantly with the presence of a family history of JIA. JADI‐A and JADI‐E had a significant correlation with long disease duration. Cumulative damage was common in this Arab JIA cohort, and consanguinity and JIA in a sibling were frequent findings and were associated with a greater cumulative damage.

Kawasaki disease (KD), the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in developed countries, merits conducting detailed studies in Arab countries. We introduce Kawarabi, as a multicenter research collaborative effort dedicated to improving diagnosis, care, and outcome of children and adults with KD in the Arab world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there emerged a new multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children; a disease similar to KD. This highlighted the challenges that Arab physicians face in diagnosing and managing children with KD and KD-like illnesses. Kawarabi brings together experts in North America and Arab nations to study this family of diseases in a not-for-profit, voluntary scientific collaborative setting. Bylaws addressing the vision, objectives, structure, and governance of Kawarabi were established, and vetted by the 45 organizing members in 2021. An initial scientific publication showed evidence of a decreased level of awareness of the disease in the general population, as well as the lack of access to resources available for physicians caring for children with KD in Arab countries. Kawarabi has since held several educational webinars and an inaugural yearly meeting. The groundwork for future initiatives targeted at increasing awareness and understanding of the management and the long-term outcomes of children with KD in the region was established. Data on KD in the Arab world are lacking. Kawarabi is a multicenter research collaborative organization that has the unique resources, diversified ethnic makeup, and energy, to accomplish significant advances in our understanding and management of KD and its variants.

Human inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a group of 485 distinct genetic disorders affecting children and adults. Signs and symptoms of IEI are heterogeneous, and accurate diagnosis can be challenging and depends on the available human expertise and laboratory resources. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has an increased prevalence of IEI because of the high rate of consanguinity with a predominance of autosomal recessive disorders. This area also exhibits more severe disease phenotypes compared with other regions, probably due to the delay in diagnosis. The MENA-IEI registry network has designed protocols and guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of IEI, taking into consideration the variable regional expertise and resources. These guidelines are primarily meant to improve the care of patients within the region, but can also be followed in other regions with similar patient populations.