title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ACKNOWLEDGING MAY AS LUPUS AWARENESS MONTH AND COMMEMORATING WORLD LUPUS DAY
WHEREAS, lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue, causing inflammation and damage to multiple parts of the body, including the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, and other organs; and
WHEREAS, lupus is unpredictable, often difficult to diagnose, challenging to treat, and can be life-threatening, with no known cause or cure; and
WHEREAS, on average, it can take nearly six years for individuals with lupus to receive a diagnosis from the time they experience symptoms, in part because there is no single test to diagnose the disease; and
WHEREAS, lupus affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans and based on CDC prevalence estimates, 3,800 to 4,300 Cook County residents are likely living with lupus; and
WHEREAS, while lupus can strike anyone, approximately 90 percent of those living with lupus are women, most commonly developing between the ages of 15 and 44; and
WHEREAS, lupus disproportionately impacts African American, Hispanic/Latina, Asian American, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander women, who are two to three times more likely to develop lupus than white women; and
WHEREAS, lupus can cause severe and debilitating symptoms, including extreme fatigue, painful or swollen joints, cognitive issues, anemia, photosensitivity, hair loss, abnormal blood clotting, mouth and nose ulcers, and chest pain when breathing deeply; and
WHEREAS, lupus can significantly impact daily life, with many individuals experiencing limitations in employment and social activities, and often requiring multiple medications and long-term medical management; and
WHEREAS, more than half of Americans report knowing little or nothing about lupus, underscoring the need to increase public awareness of this serious and often misunderstood disease; and
WHEREAS, increasing awareness, education, researc...
Click here for full text