Govt pledges support for lupus

Great news for people living with lupus as the Government of the day has pledged its support to fund the training of healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, specialists, and those with associated knowledge, in the early detection of lupus.

The pledge was announced by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka while officiating at the “Dancing with Lupus” annual dinner fundraiser in Suva, where he says the government is working to identify the silent illness of lupus before it becomes a public concern.

Rabuka says although lupus may not be evident to the unaided eye, the emotional toll, discomfort, and treatment expenses are all too real.

Rabuka says the government will endeavour to guarantee that lupus is included in the national NCD policies, wellness initiatives, and frameworks for chronic diseases. In order to reduce the need for patients in the North, West, and Marine regions to travel great distances for care, he reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting projects to investigate the deployment of rheumatology services outside Suva.

He adds in addition to collaborating with the Pharmacy Board to ensure steady nationwide stock availability and promoting public-private partnerships to support cost and access, the Ministry of Health will investigate adding essential lupus drugs to the Essential Medicines List.

Rabuka also acknowledged the work of the Lupus Foundation as a lifeline for patients and their families, and not just an NGO.

He says the government will collaborate with them to support awareness-raising initiatives in businesses, educational institutions, and medical facilities.

He adds they will fund the association's community education and outreach initiatives.

The Prime Minister says if appropriate, the government will take into account official collaboration through MoUs or government funding support.

According to the Health Ministry, a local study conducted between 2016 and 2020 found that, of 33 cases, 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. The median age of those affected is 25.7 years, and a significant number belong to the Indigenous iTaukei ethnicity, comprising 67 percent of the cases.

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.