Happy World Lupus Day/Month

I didn’t know what Lupus is until my aunt who is a lupee patient informed me that 10th May is a world lupus day and together with other colleagues in the foundation they will be celebrating as well as creating awareness to the world concerning lupus as a disease which many people are not acquainted with.

Indeed according to my findings in the various dictionaries and sources of knowledge I discovered that Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. Lupus is also known as the wolf disease because it is able to manifest itself to look like other diseases, which makes it difficult to diagnose.

This condition is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. In reality you cannot catch lupus from someone or give lupus to someone. Many people have mistook this disease with AIDs, Tuberculosis, pneumonia and even doctors have gone to an extent of treating the symptoms of the mentioned diseases without knowing .

Many people have been isolated in their homes, villages and even in the places of work for having lupus, before they learned (like my aunt) that she has lived positive with the condition and has now joined a foundation that supports people with lupus. They also create awareness to those who lack information about the condition.

It is estimated that 5 million people in the world are living with lupus, 90% of them being women. It is also estimated that more than 200,000 patients in Kenya are living with lupus, while, and the number is still increasing. Many people who live in reserved and marginalized areas are still oblivious of the condition with some facing stigma from their relatives and the communities while many confounding the condition to be AIDs.

My challenge to the government is that it should set aside funds to help improve the health conditions of persons suffering from lupus. Awareness should be created to all people including those who are in the most interior zones.

Foundations and organizations that support people with lupus should make an effort of creating awareness to places where ignorance and illiteracy has prevailed. Lupus patients deserve respect, love, support and encouragement.

It is high time that we celebrate lupus patients not only in the month of May but every time.

Let us all help create awareness about this condition by encouraging lupus patients and expressing our love for them.

Let us all rise up and celebrate those who have lived with the condition and have remained positive in life as well as create awareness to those who are ignorant of the disease yet they suffer from it.