33 cases of lupus recorded between 2016 and 2020, with 67% iTaukei

33 cases of Lupus were recorded by the Health Ministry between 2016 and 2020, with 67 percent of the cases comprising Indigenous iTaukei.

Marking International Lupus Day and celebrating the sixth anniversary of the Lupus Foundation of Fiji, Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa described Lupus as a complex autoimmune disease that remains largely misunderstood and under-recognised, both globally and here in Fiji.

He says Fiji has a crude annual incidence of 2.44 cases per 100,000 people, with an age-standardised incidence of 2.37 per 100,000.

Ravunawa says the median age of those affected is 25.7 years.

The Assistant Minister says tragically, the study revealed that Fiji has a high incidence of lupus, with nearly half of our cohort within that period either having died or becoming dialysis-dependent within two years of diagnosis.

He says this stark reality emphasises the importance of the theme: “Making Lupus Visible.”

Ravunawa adds it means raising awareness, improving understanding, and promoting early action against this disease.