On May 10, 2004, an international call-to-action has been issued by more than one hundred lupus organizations based in countries around the world to conduct the annual observance of World Lupus Day.

Lupus occurs when the immune system, which normally helps protect the body from infection and disease, attacks its own tissues. This attack causes inflammation, and in some cases permanent tissue damage, which can be widespread – affecting the skin, joints, heart, lung, kidneys, circulating blood cells, and brain.