inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Jakarta Provincial Government is targeting women aged 18 and over as the primary target for its lupus screening program, both in hospitals and primary health care facilities (FKTP).

"The primary target for the screening program, as it is reported that the number of women affected by lupus is higher, is that we are focusing more on women aged 18," said Sri Puji Wahyuni, Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Jakarta Health Office, on Monday (5/11/2026).

She said that consistent studies have shown that women are 8-13 times more at risk of developing lupus than men.

Meanwhile, based on data as of April 2026, screening at community health centers has reached approximately 943 people suspected of having lupus, who were then referred.

On the other hand, BPJS data shows an increase in the number of lupus cases, both in hospitals and referrals from primary health care facilities (FKTP), each year. This number reached 192,614 cases in 2023, then increased by around 24 percent to 238,954 cases in 2024, and then to 247,743 cases in 2025.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune rheumatic disease that can affect various organs. In lupus, the immune system loses its ability to distinguish foreign substances from the body's own cells and tissues.

This condition leads to the overproduction of autoantibodies that attack healthy tissue. These autoantibodies form immune complexes that trigger inflammation and tissue damage.

Puji explained that lupus is a disease that is difficult to detect because its symptoms are non-specific, hence the nickname "the disease with a thousand faces."

Therefore, she emphasized the importance of educating the public so they can recognize lupus symptoms early.

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