LFA news · June 2026
Our first newsletter: Steps for Change
Six months in numbers, our World Lupus Day story, a birthday medication drive, advocacy with the SHA and the voices of our community.
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What we are writing about
Educational articles, community stories, advocacy updates and campaign news. Everything here can be shared straight to WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn or X.
Newsletter · First edition · January to June 2026
Steps for Change: our first newsletter
Welcome to the first LFA Bi-Annual Newsletter. It captures the milestones of our first six months of 2026, from strengthening access to medication and mental health support to World Lupus Day, nutrition education, community connection and the voices of people living with lupus and their caregivers.
Inside this edition
- From our leadership: taking steps together
- LFA in numbers: six months at a glance
- Small steps, invisible battles: our World Lupus Day story
- One birthday, 20+ warriors: a medication drive
- From voices to policy: advocating with the SHA
- Warrior meetup at Uhuru Park, 18 April 2026
- Our voices, our stories: Gloria and Isabella
- Glimpses into Faith’s, Winnie’s and Victoria’s worlds
- Beyond the physical: mental health matters
- Living well with lupus: nutrition education
- Partners making change possible
- The next steps are ours to take
LFA in numbers · January to June 2026
Six months of steps for change
The impact snapshot from our first bi-annual newsletter. Every figure is a warrior, a caregiver or a conversation that moved lupus care forward.
5,000+People reached through awareness activities
500+Active community members
20+Warriors reached with medication support
3Partnerships established: Vimbo Health, Genetest and The Mary Ben Foundation
2National media appearances
2Lived-experience stories amplified
1National policy engagement with the Social Health Authority (SHA)
1Mental health platform introduced
1Major World Lupus Day community event
Figures for January to June 2026, as reported in the LFA Newsletter, first edition. Our all-time figures are reviewed and updated annually.
In the media
Lupus on national television
LFA on NTV Kenya, KBC and Citizen TV, talking about how lupus shows up, how to prevent flare-ups, what patients can control and the silent struggle of living with it. Watch all four programmes here.
Watch the programmes
Event · May 2026
World Lupus Day 2026: Steps for Change
Hundreds walked through Nairobi with the Aga Khan University Hospital under one message: Make Lupus Visible. Here is how the day unfolded, and what happened next.
Read the full story
Event · October 2025
Lupus Wellness & Rheumatology Camp 2025
Free health and wellness checks, learning sessions, creative workshops and support sessions at Mater Misericordiae Hospital on Saturday 25 October 2025.
Community engagement photos
Educational · September 2025
Lupus awareness with the Rotary Club of Athi River
A virtual awareness session on 24 September 2025, with a rheumatologist, a medical officer and three lupus warriors on the panel.
Awareness photos
Health professionals · 2025
At the ARSK Scientific Conference 2025
LFA had its own stand at the Arthrheuma Society of Kenya Scientific Conference 2025 in Kisumu, bringing the patient voice to rheumatologists and clinicians.
Health professional photos
Advocacy update
Towards affordable access to Mphetas
With Accord and Intas, marking affordable access to Mphetas (mycophenolate mofetil) for people living with lupus.
See the photos
Educational · Published in The Star
What you need to know about navigating lupus and work
Every day is a new battle in a new place with unpredictable pain levels. Lupus advocate Winnie Opondo on managing fatigue, navigating disclosure, and what employers can do differently.
Read on our site
Educational
Five things I wish someone had told me after my lupus diagnosis
Drawn from what our members say they needed most in the first weeks: what to learn first, who to talk to, and what can wait.
Open the guide
Advocacy update
Why lupus patients are calling for better access to care in Kenya
The cost of medicines and tests, distance to facilities and limited specialist access are decisions, not inevitabilities. What LFA is asking for, and who we are asking.
Read our position
Educational
Mental health matters: why lupus care must go beyond medication
Depression is a recognised part of the lupus picture, not a side issue. Why psychosocial support belongs in the treatment plan from the beginning.
Read more
Community story
Meet Isabella, lupus warrior
“Lupus does not mean life stops. We can still live, thrive, and become a source of strength and hope for others.” Isabella's story of resilience after years of being misunderstood.
Read her story
Community story
Meet Gloria, caregiver
“Sometimes, we caregivers need support too.” Gloria cares for a 16-year-old warrior diagnosed in 2025, and speaks about the part of lupus that is rarely discussed.
Read her story
LFA news
Building an African lupus ecosystem together
From hospitals and diagnostics to mental health, nutrition and national media, our partners are what make the work possible. Meet them.
See our partners
LFA news
Why Africa needs its own lupus evidence
Most of what is known about lupus was not learned here. What that means for patients, and how LFA is working to close the gap.
Read moreNothing in that category yet. Try another filter.
In the media
Lupus on national television
Four programmes on NTV Kenya, Citizen TV and KBC that brought lupus into living rooms across Kenya. Press play to watch here.
In the studio
Our publishing rhythm
What we aim to publish each month
We keep our writing short, useful and grounded in what our community actually asks about. Every month we aim for:
- Two educational articles
- Two community or warrior stories
- One advocacy update
- One LFA news or impact story
- One event or campaign update
Everything we publish is written to be repurposed for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and WhatsApp, so that our community can carry it further than we can.
Have something to say?
If you are living with lupus, caring for someone who is, or working in lupus care, we would like to publish your perspective.
