This Thursday, May 23 in Libreville, World Lupus Day was commemorated later through therapeutic education workshops aimed at better understanding this disease. Between difficult treatment and the need to take into account the specificities of lupus in a professional environment, the Lupus Association Gabon has requested the support of the various stakeholders for better monitoring of patients.
Officials including Armelle Oyabi (right) and Adrien Mougougou (center) on May 23, 2024. © GabonReview
Since its creation in 2013, the Lupus Association Gabon (ALG) has been committed to raising awareness of lupus and its consequences to defend the rights and needs of people with lupus. It was also on his initiative that the World Day of this disease was commemorated for the first time, which affects just over a hundred people in the country, particularly women. This year again, the ALG organized, with the support of the Ministry of Health and its partners including Sanofi, the 2024 edition of this day. Delayed on May 23, this day structured around therapeutic education workshops aimed to raise awareness of this disease which affects all the organs of the human body.
Take into account the specificities of the disease
Between signs of lupus, knowledge of the disease and treatment, psychological care and nutritional care, the white coats edified the public made up of some of those with lupus. The ALG took this opportunity to express its plea for adequate treatment of lupus with medications and analyzes accessible to all. The costs linked to this disease are, so to speak, quite high with the result being a “autoimmune assessment» rather expensive and not covered by the National Health Insurance and Social Guarantee Fund (CNAMGS).
It is therefore right that Armelle Oyabi, the president of ALG, called on members of civil society for collaboration; the National Program to Combat Noncommunicable Diseases for a partnership to “formalize more effective specific support at national level» ; the Sanofi group for support in the availability of medicines at affordable costs; the CNAMGS for better management of basic lupus medications and biological analyses; the Ministry of Health for recognition of this disease in Gabon, support and implementation of a national awareness program
Snapshots of the day of May 23, 2024. © GabonReview
More involvement of the CNAMGS
But also, the creation of a medical analysis center dedicated to rare and autoimmune diseases; the Ministry of Social Affairs to benefit from national aid and assistance systems for people living with disabilities; the Ministries of Labor, Civil Service and National Education, time arrangements, working and learning conditions for people with lupus when they face the harshness of the disease; the World Health Organization (WHO), support to carry out high-level advocacy as well as technical and financial assistance with a view to carrying out an inventory of the lupus situation in Gabon.
“Lupus is a disease known to the programs of the Ministry of Health, it imposes itself on us. It is up to us all to coordinate our efforts“, declared the Minister of Health, Adrien Mougougou. Officially opening the work on May 23, he said he was waiting for concrete proposals that would allow him to make a plea. Particularly, with the CNAMGS for adequate treatment of lupus. “We have a duty to support them in a particular way because the treatments lead to remission but which then leaves the risk of relapse.“, said Dr. Adrien Mougougou.
