UNAIR NEWS – To increase public awareness about lupus, students from the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) launched a community service project focused on the disease. The initiative, titled SALLY (Shining A Light on Awareness and Lifelong Living with Lupus), received a positive response from numerous volunteers.
The project, led by Radhiyya Dyani Permatadewi, a medical student from Admission Class of 2023, aimed to introduce lupus and its dangers to the public. Permatadewi explained that the initiative had two key phases: an online campaign via social media and an in-person event held on Sunday (October 13, 2024) at Kafe Yoikona 2.0 in Genteng.
Idea behind initiative
Permatadewi’s inspiration for this project came from her selection as a top-12 finalist in the Ambassador of Public Health competition by AMSA-Indonesia, an organization for medical students across the Asia-Pacific region. As part of the competition, finalists were required to raise awareness about a specific disease, and Permatadewi chose lupus as her focus.
She explained that the lack of public knowledge about lupus drove her to take action. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs, but because of the limited information available, many people are unaware of its symptoms.
“We organized a series of activities, starting with an online campaign via social media. This included Instagram live sessions with medical professionals to explain lupus and its symptoms. We also featured a live session with a young doctor living with lupus. The highlight of the program was an offline event on October 13,” she said.
The in-person event featured a lupus exercise session, which can help reduce symptoms. It also included a talk show with an internal medicine specialist who provided deeper insights into lupus, along with free health screenings for attendees.
Planning and challenges
Permatadewi shared that the proposal for the community service initiative was completed in just three days. After the finalists were announced, they had two weeks to carry out their activities as outlined in the proposal.
Despite the tight timeline, the project faced challenges such as limited funding and difficulty recruiting volunteers. However, after significant promotional efforts, the program attracted a strong response from volunteers.
Program impact
Permatadewi hopes that, in addition to raising lupus awareness, the program will provide support to those living with the disease and educate the public on ways to manage its symptoms. Although the exact cause of lupus is still unknown, increasing awareness of its symptoms could help prevent the disease from worsening.
“To everyone, it’s time we deepen our understanding of lupus. Let’s not isolate those affected by it. Lupus is not contagious. Instead, we should offer our support and encourage them to stay motivated and continue to contribute to society,” she concluded.
Penulis: Rifki Sunarsis Ari Adi
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
