A leading rheumatologist has called for more focus on arthritis research, highlighting a report showing it affects one in seven Australians yet receives only 1% of medical research funding.

Arthritis Australia’s medical director and Adelaide rheumatologist Professor Susanna Proudman says there is an obvious disparity in government commitment to funding research compared with the prevalence and cost of the disease.

Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions account for 13% of the country’s total disease burden, on par with cardiovascular disease (13%), mental health (13%), and cancer (18%).

But according to a report by Arthritis Australia released on Tuesday, it receives just a sliver of the Medical Research Future Fund compared with other diseases.