National Health Council — Voluntary Health Agency Guide

Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.

The Lupus Foundation of America's (LFA) is the leading national nonprofit voluntary health organization wholly dedicated to finding the causes and cure for lupus. LFA's mission is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of lupus, support individuals and families affected by the disease, increase awareness of lupus among health professionals and the public, and find the causes and cure. The LFA provides direct support to medical researchers, conducts major national campaigns to heighten public awareness about lupus, conducts Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs for physicians, provides direct patient services through its national network of chapters, and conducts advocacy activities on behalf of people with lupus and their families..

The LFA has 264 chapters and support groups throughout the United States and sanctions hundreds of community-based support groups that provide information and services to individuals and families affected by lupus.

By drawing on the expertise of the nation's leading lupus researchers and clinicians, the LFA provides the most current and comprehensive information available about the disease. Public awareness and advocacy initiatives serve to focus national attention on lupus to create a greater understanding of the disease and needs of people affected by lupus.

About the condition(s):

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system, for unknown reasons, produces antibodies or proteins that cause damage to the body's health tissues and vital organs. An estimated one to two million Americans have lupus; 90 percent are women. Lupus mostly strikes young women in their childbearing years and is more common among women of color.