Lupus disease awareness campaign

The Lupus Support Group (Malta) will be holding a number of activities next month to generate greater awareness about the disease.

Group chairman Ian Lochhead said yesterday there were at least 100 known sufferers of Lupus, an incurable immune system illness that affects mainly women.

When Lupus is triggered, the body's defences overproduce antibodies and this may cause inflammatory reactions in the skin, joints, muscles, nerves, blood vessels and internal organs, such as the heart, lungs or kidneys. Lupus is neither infectious nor contagious but it may be life threatening.

Lupus is diagnosed by rheumatologists and diagnosed lupus patients usually take medication over the long term.

Activities being held by the group include a coffee morning for members and friends on October 5, a gala dinner at the Hilton Hotel on October 19 and the distribution of 200 folders and leaflets to pharmacies and clinics throughout Malta.

The organisation yesterday presented Lm500 to Life Cycle Malta in aid of a kidney machine at the Renal Unit of St Luke's Hospital. Such equipment is sometimes used by Lupus sufferers.

A cheque for £500 was also being sent to the UK to help in the funding of research.

Lupus Support Group Malta was formed in October 1999.