The organising committees, school officials and guest speakers of the Lupus Awareness Talk.
SANDAKAN : – A talk on ‘ disease of a thousand faces’ Systemic Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) was held here Wednesday .
Themed “Know Lupus” for 768 students of SMK Konven St. Cecilia at the school’s hall, was organised by the Persatuan SLE Malaysia, Sabah Chapter.
SLE, Commonly known as Lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease that predominantly affects young people, including those in their teenage years.
In Malaysia, it is estimated that 43 in every 100,000 people suffer from this disease, with the youngest recorded patient being only four years old.
SMK Konven St. Cecilia students listen attentively to the guest speaker during the Lupus Awareness Talk.
The event featured an insightful talk, “The Wolf and The Butterfly” by Dr Anna Farazilah Mohd Salleh, a Rheumatologist, who covered essential topics such as the symptoms, impact, and
management of SLE.
This talk was designed to educate attendees about Lupus and support those affected by the condition.
Notable highlights included the special symbolic gesture of opening
umbrellas, marking the emphasis on photosensitivity – a common symptom where SLE patients
must avoid direct sunlight.
The response from the audience was overwhelmingly positive.
Students showed great interest in
the topics discussed, asked insightful questions, and expressed a deeper understanding of the
challenges faced by individuals with SLE.
Their engagement demonstrated the success of the event in raising awareness and fostering empathy within the student community.
Suzanna Hon, the spokesperson of the Organization stated that the talk was organised in conjunction with the Sabah Lupus Awareness Programme 2024, themed “Know Lupus” and “Spread Lupus Awareness”.
The objective is a comprehensive initiative aimed at educating the
public, increasing awareness and understanding of Lupus within the community, dispelling myths
surrounding the disease, and fostering support for those affected by it.
It empowers individuals with
knowledge about Lupus and rallies public support for Lupus Warriors, those bravely living with Lupus.
The event was a tremendous success in light of the invaluable support contributed by the Principal,
Chung Su Kiong, Senior Officer of Co-curriculum, Madam Yau Kim Chu, and the other administrative staff of SMK Konven St. Cecilia.
Persatuan SLE Malaysia, a non-profit, charitable organization, was formed in 1994 to provide social and psychological support for people suffering from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).
Under its umbrella, a Sandakan Chapter was launched in October 2004, which has been co-opted
into Persatuan SLE Malaysia, Sabah Chapter in May 2013.
To date, there are about 890 members in Sabah, including patients and non-patients distributed across Sabah’s West Coast, Interior, Pitas, Sandakan, Tawau, Lawas, and FT Labuan.
The number of sufferers is expected to grow as more cases are diagnosed or misdiagnosed.
For more information about Lupus and ways to get involved, please contact 012-8133338 or visit http://www.lupusmalaysia.org or follow us on Facebook at Persatuan SLE Malaysia Sabah Chapter.
