OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Arizonar -- Today, the National Minority Health Association (NMHA) announces "Equity for All," an effort focused on three primary objectives:

• Raise awareness of disparities & poor access to care and treatment for people living with Lupus.
• Increase understanding of care and treatment for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), within the hard-to-reach and underserved communities of NYC.
• Help mitigate both conscious and unconscious biases related to SLE, building empathy among healthcare providers and patients while improving trust.

This effort will support education for community Rheumatologists, Primary Care Practitioners (PCP), and Community Health Workers to partner with patients and support providers in their effort to diagnose, and treat SLE, while raising awareness of SLE in the New York area.

Dr. Anca Askanase, Associate Professor of Medicine and the founder and Director of the Lupus Center, Director of Rheumatology Clinical Trials at the Division of Rheumatology of Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, highlights the stark reality of lupus's impact: "Lupus predominantly targets women, affecting them nine times more frequently than men. The disease is not only more common but also generally more severe in women. Furthermore, black women are three to four times more likely to develop Lupus than white women, and they tend to experience more severe symptoms at an earlier age. Hispanic and Asian women also face higher risks compared to their white counterparts. These stark disparities underscore a critical need for targeted campaigns like this one, to raise awareness among women, people of color, as well as with my peers in the medical community."

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Because SLE manifests itself differently in people, so too does art touch each of us in a unique and personal manner. The program will harness the power and impact of art through a newly commissioned painting by internationally noted artist Quana Madison. Quana's art will be used as a catalyst for conversation, empathy, and reflection, as it relates to Lupus and helps foster greater patient/physician/community conversation and connections.

"Starting in New York City, we will also call for the establishment of a "Lupus Call to Action Day" each year to be held on May 1^st where the program will focus and amplify the voices of key opinion leaders, those impacted by Lupus and raise awareness with the support of campaign partners, Global Healthy Living Foundation https://ghlf.org, HealthFirst https://healthfirst.org, and Lupus Research Alliance https://www.lupusresearch.org," said Burgess Harrison, NMHA Executive Director.

"We are excited to partner with the NMHA, and other leading healthcare organizations in the area of rheumatology, on this innovative effort to raise awareness and improve outcomes for people living with Lupus, their caregivers and healthcare providers," said Donna Finale, US Sustainability Lead, UCB. "Equity for All" is a campaign made possible with a grant from UCB and Biogen.

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About the NMHA: The National Minority Health Association is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1988. The NMHA delivers on its mission of health equity through innovative programs including Health is for EveryBODY™ (www.healthisforeverybody.org), Operation Healthy You™, Equityville™, and The Art Alliance, to name a few. The lack of health equity in underserved, marginalized, and hard-to-reach communities translates into lost lives, adverse health outcomes, higher costs, diminished productivity, and declines in quality of life and well-being for everyone. For more information visit www.thenmha.org

About Quana:  Quána Madison is an artist, mindfulness teacher, healing arts workshop facilitator, and self-leadership coach. She combines inner wellness practices with expressive arts to promote creative expression, community, and holistic well-being. A graduate of New York University and Colorado College, Quána holds an MA in Education and a BA in Philosophy. More information is available at www.quanamadison.com