The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has raised concern over the growing but largely underrecognised burden of lupus and other connective tissue diseases in the state.
Abayomi in a post on his official Twitter account, warned that delayed diagnosis has continued to leave many patients suffering for years without proper treatment.
He said this while meeting the Lupus Remedies Global Support Foundation, a Lagos-based advocacy group supporting people living with lupus and autoimmune diseases, during activities for Lupus Awareness Month.
Abayomi described lupus as “the great imitator,” a disease notorious for mimicking several other illnesses and frequently escaping early detection.
“I have seen patients spend years moving between hospitals and specialists before someone finally names what they are living with.
“Lupus does this. It mimics almost every known disease, which is why clinicians have long called it the great imitator.”
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According to the commissioner, lupus remains highly misunderstood, misdiagnosed and significantly underdiagnosed, in spite of increasing numbers of patients presenting with symptoms linked to the condition.
The commissioner disclosed that Lagos currently has at least 2,000 established lupus cases, stressing that the actual number may be significantly higher due to low awareness and diagnostic challenges.
As part of efforts to improve recognition and care for lupus, Abayomi announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening awareness and specialist capacity.
The commissioner outlined three key commitments which include training primary healthcare clinicians to recognise possible lupus symptoms and refer patients appropriately to a rheumatologist.
Others are convening the six rheumatologists in Lagos to develop strategies for expanding specialist training, and inaugurating a statewide public awareness campaign on lupus and related connective tissue diseases.
This initiative comes amid concerns over the limited number of rheumatologists available in Nigeria.
According to the commissioner, Lagos currently has only six rheumatology specialists managing a growing number of complex autoimmune disease cases.
The shortage reflects broader gaps in specialist healthcare services across the country, where many patients face long waiting periods and high costs before accessing expert care.
“Lupus is not that rare. It is underrecognised. That is something we can change,” Abayomi said.
He reiterated the Lagos State Ministry of Health’s commitment to greater awareness, early recognition, and stronger support for people living with lupus and other connective tissue diseases.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissues and organs.
It belongs to a broader category known as connective tissue diseases (CTDs), which also includes conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and polymyositis.
The disease can affect multiple organs simultaneously, including the skin, kidneys, joints, muscles, blood, eyes, brain and gastrointestinal tract, making diagnosis particularly difficult.
As symptoms vary widely from patient to patient and often resemble those of other illnesses, many individuals are treated repeatedly for unrelated conditions before receiving an accurate diagnosis.
Delayed diagnosis can lead to severe complications, organ damage and reduced quality of life.
(NAN)
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