Ouagadougou: The Lupus Burkina Association organized an aerobics session in Ouagadougou on Saturday to combat this chronic and complex disease, in celebration of International Lupus Day, the AIB noted. Every May 10th, International Lupus Day is commemorated. In Burkina Faso, the Lupus Association has chosen to hold an aerobics session involving patients, their families, and friends to mark this commemoration.

According to Burkina Information Agency, this physical exercise, led by two instructors, took place in an area near the Ouagadougou Martyrs' Monument, under the watchful eye of the Burkina Faso emergency medical services. A quick lap around the track, and everyone got moving under the guidance of the instructors. Patients who were unable to tolerate physical activity joined the medical team to recover better.

The president of the Burkina Lupus Association, Dr. Kouti Ivonne, a lecturer and researcher at Norbert Zongo University, explains the rationale behind this activity: "We want all Burkinabe to know that there is a disease called lupus, a chronic, insidious disease that mainly attacks women, but men can also be affected." She adds that "unfortunately, this disease is not very well known; so many people may suffer from it without knowing it. It is up to us, those of us who have already been diagnosed with lupus, to ensure that as many Burkinabe as possible are made aware of this disease."

She mentions that "the association was created in 2016 because at one point there were more and more sick people going to the hospital and suffering from various ailments that we couldn't figure out exactly what they were. Given the increasing number, we felt it was necessary to create an association so that sick people could interact with each other, get to know each other because when we are isolated on our own, we can't understand each other better and fight the disease."

Dr. Sawadogo Binta, a representative of the Burkinabe Society of Rheumatology (SBR), a rheumatologist in Saint Camille, explains the benefits of exercising for lupus patients. "As with any joint condition, any rheumatism, we recommend exercising because it strengthens muscles and loosens joints. It can help relieve joint pain."

St©phane Simpor©, vice-president of the Lupus Association, has been living with the condition for 10 years. He explains that "the disease affects 9 out of 10 women. I am one of the few men with lupus. It's a complex disease. Each patient has their own symptoms. I have joint and muscle involvement, but also hepatitis and skin involvement." Currently sporting dreadlocks, St©phane Simpor© says that "at the very beginning I lost my hair. I'm currently in remission. I'm much better," mentioning that the disease "requires a very healthy lifestyle. You have to exercise to avoid being too exposed to stress."

For him, "this day is very important because it helps raise awareness of the disease. I've been on treatment for 10 years now." Can lupus be cured, one might wonder? According to Dr. Binta Sawadogo, "curing lupus is an overstatement. We talk about remission, that is, managing to stop relapses and no longer have joint pain. There are medications to stabilize the disease. Patients reach the stage of complications, which complicates treatment."

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect several organs such as the skin, joints, kidneys, bones, and even the heart.