GUWAHATI, June 25 � The North-East States branch of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (NEIADVL) observed June 25 as World Vitiligo Day along with the rest of the globe to commemorate the death anniversary of pop icon Michael Jackson who was a patient of vitiligo.
The day-long programmes were aimed at educating the public on the benign nature of the disease and reducing stigma and discrimination faced by the sufferers. These included free vitiligo camps, radio and TV shows, put-ting up banners and posters at strategic locations, distribution of information leaflets for public awareness, sending of informative bulk SMS and write-ups in prominent newspapers.
The day is observed all over the world on June 25 to create public awareness on vitiligo, a disease characterised by white patches on the skin and mucous membrane that invite a lot of unwarranted stigma and discrimination, doubling the sufferings of the affected persons. People�s ignorance about the disease is the main reason behind this discriminative attitude, as many believe that it is a contagious, hereditary and untreatable disease. They tend to equate it with leprosy, although the latter is a completely different disease.
There were also scientific programmes for the medical fraternity in the form of CMEs and panel discussions to update doctors with the latest knowledge on the subject and encourage research in vitiligo.
At the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, the faculty of the Department of Dermatology, namely Prof (Dr) Jyoti Nath, Prof (Dr) Debeeka Hazarika and Associate Prof (Dr) Pankaj Adhikari enlightened the vitiligo patients on the nature of the disease and its treatment, and also answered queries from them.
Patients were provided free medicines for their treatment, including some expensive ones that cannot otherwise be easily procured by the common man. Educational programmes for doctors included a national-level webinar featuring prominent dermatologists of the nation, which was webcast on a big screen at the Department of Dermatology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, in the afternoon, and a CME that was organized at a city hotel in the evening.
Both the programmes witnessed encouraging participation of dermatologists from the region.
Another seminar is planned tomorrow at the Department of Dermatology, GMCH. In Dhekiajuli, a public meeting was organized to educate the public on the nature of the disease, which, too, saw encouraging participation by the general public, said a statement.
