Lupus patients raise an outcry over the steep cost of medication.

Lupus patients say the high cost  of medication has  seen majority of them lose their lives .

Lupus  is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels.

Penina Namirembe Nantume who was diagnosed with the disease in 2021 noted that on an average  they  need about UGX 32000 per day for medication.

“You need  vitamins , folic Acid, immunosuppressant's , antibiotics among others and even our tests are so expensive, sunscreen is also not affordable, ” Nantume explained.

She stated that the scarcity of Lupus doctors in the country is also becoming a threat  to their lives as it makes many of them live a life full  of  pain  without proper treatment.

”We don’t have the right doctors, People are dying others are kept in homes because when you go for medical checkups , they tell you nothing is wrong  with you yet you are in unmeasurable pain"  Nantume narrated.

She states that there's no cure for lupus. This makes living with it a challenge. But with a proper treatment plan to minimize flares and  certain lifestyle changes, it's possible to manage symptoms and take care of yourself, therefore  people  with lupus can  live normal, healthy lives.

She made the remarks ahead of the world lupus day slated for 10th /May . People living with lupus ”lupus warriors” in Uganda   will hold the commemorations at Motive Uganda where they will  create awareness about the disease.