On Aug. 31, 1977, in recognition of the seriousness of lupus and America’s commitment to its control, the U.S. Congress, by joint resolution approved July 25, 1977, President Carter signed Public Law 95-72 to issue a proclamation designating the week of September 18 through 24, 1977, as National Lupus Week and calling for its appropriate observance.

The cause of lupus still eludes investigators, but promising leads into its relationship to the immune system, as well as to other factors, may yield new understanding of the origin of this chronic inflammatory disease, which afflicts an estimated fifty thousand new victims annually.

The Federal Government is supporting an aggressive program of research into the cause and treatment of lupus, which, it is hoped, will ultimately lead to its prevention or control. Genetic studies suggesting the role of heredity in the occurrence of lupus have begun to provide important information. The study of immunity, the body’s ability to resist disease, is now pointing the way to an understanding of the relationship to lupus of abnormal immune reactions of the body. Although a cure must await further knowledge of the basic cause, presently available forms of treatment can frequently delay the often grave consequences of the disease.

In recognition of the seriousness of lupus and America’s commitment to its control, the Congress, by joint resolution approved July 25, 1977, has requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the week of September 18 through 24, 1977, as National Lupus Week and calling for its appropriate observance.