Ibadan: Lupus Warriors NG has organised a sensitisation walk and free screening sessions to celebrate 2025 World Lupus Day in Ibadan. The group's founder, Miss Olatomiwa Ogunwomoju, said the walk was to create awareness about the disease and spread all necessary information about it.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, lupus is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the body and its healthy tissues, affecting any part of the body. Miss Ogunwomoju stated, "We are celebrating every Lupus warrior - those living with it and creating awareness so that people can know more about the disease, and also help to spread the word." She shared her personal experience of living with lupus for nearly eight years, detailing how it affected her eyesight and the challenges it presents even with medication and hospital visits.
Ogunwomoju identified the high cost of medications as a major challenge for those living with lupus. She emphasised the importance of creating awareness to garner support for lupus patients to live meaningful lives. She urged the government to collaborate with rheumatologists to make medications more accessible and affordable.
Dr. Ibukunoluwa Dedeke, a consultant rheumatologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, explained that lupus is a form of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), prevalent more in females than males, with a prevalence rate of 0.5% in Oyo State. He highlighted the challenges in diagnosing lupus early due to its symptoms being easily mistaken for other diseases like malaria and thyroid disorders.
According to Dedeke, early diagnosis is crucial in managing lupus to prevent irreversible organ damage. He stressed the importance of specialist care to mitigate adverse effects of treatments and highlighted ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Society of Rheumatologists to include autoimmune medications in the essential drug list.
A lupus patient, 16-year-old Titilayo Adigun, shared her journey with the disease since being diagnosed in JSS 3. She recounted the initial challenges and how life gradually became more manageable with medication.