LFA Awarded Multi-million Dollar Grant to Build Lupus Awareness and Improve Quality of Life
The Lupus Foundation of America (Foundation) has been awarded a multi-million dollar grant from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve symptom recognition, diagnosis and improve the quality of life for people with lupus.
”This is an unprecedented opportunity to build on the sustainable and meaningful programs and services we provide people with lupus and their physicians,” said Conrad Gehrmann, Chair of the Lupus Foundation of America’s National Board of Directors. “As an organization committed to resolving the challenges that have plagued lupus diagnosis and care, this award fits perfectly with our mission and we look forward to working with the CDC.”
The funding will be used to:
- develop and implement an evidence-based national awareness and education campaign targeted at health care providers, individuals at risk for lupus and people with lupus;
- establish new resources and support for people at risk for and living with lupus and their caregivers; and
- build upon existing community-based partnerships with health care providers to help diagnose lupus more quickly.
Thursday, the Lupus Foundation of America, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and the CDC will unveil the first-ever National Public Health Agenda for Lupus at a briefing on Capitol Hill. It will identify public health priorities, strategies and recommendations that are relevant and complementary to efforts in lupus biomedical research and clinical care and serve as a model of a comprehensive approach to lupus care and treatment.
The Foundation is also currently conducting research among people with lupus, their caregivers and various physician groups/specialists, to better understand the barriers in obtaining a lupus diagnosis.
The National Public Health Agenda for Lupus, along with the Foundation’s research findings, will guide the creation of campaigns and tools to reduce the time to an accurate lupus diagnosis and help develop programs and services that will benefit people with lupus, their caregivers and health care providers.
The Foundation will work closely with the CDC and also in collaboration with the American College of Rheumatology who also was awarded funding for this grant.