PDS Faces Dermatology Issues

The Philippine Dermatological Society punctuated the celebration of the fourth National Skin Disease Detection and Prevention Week November 9 to 15 with its 27th annual convention on The Essential and True: Facing The Issues in Dermatology. One of the issues it faced was leprosy, to which it devoted a daylong preconvention forum on developing a holistic approach to the problem. The forum was designed to pave the way for collaboration among different sectors, disciplines, and agencies in the campaign to wipe out leprosy, first by strengthening the knowledge and skills of doctors in leprosy control and enhancing their appreciation of the problem. Dr. Francisca Roa, PDS president, said the fight against leprosy "requires the cooperation of the different disciplines and [involves] not only the medical sector, but most importantly the government and with the support of the society." Even as the forum zeroed in on the treatment of the disease, Roa said discussions should not end "without dealing with the restoration and transformation of the Hansenite into a more productive member of society." Leprosy had been endemic for decades in many of the 37 countries in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region (WHO-WPR). But with massive campaign, the region succeeded in eliminating leprosy as a public health problem, achieving a prevalence rate of less than one per 10,000 people in 1991. At the end of 2002, only three countries reported more than 1,000 cases. The Philippines has the largest number of registered cases in the region (30 percent of total), followed by China (29) and Vietnam (11.5). According to Dr. Sumana Barua, medical officer of the WHO-WPR Stop TB and Leprosy Elimination program, there are high endemic pockets in some countries and new cases are expected to occur. "To deal with this, a postelimination surveillance system based on a protocol developed at the regional office is being piloted in selected provinces in Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Vietnam," he said. Actress Rio Diaz, who has become an inspiration in the fight against cancer, delivered the inspirational message. Sharing her experience, she said her fight against "the cancer in my body" only served to reveal to her "God's purpose for everyone of us." "He will invite you to be a part of something bigger than yourself, something that requires the very best of you … The cancer in my body I did not choose, but God allowed this affliction in my life," she said. However, she said her cancer pales in comparison to the cancer in some people's lives-"the cancer of bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, jealousy, and lust" that affects many in society. Organizing committee chair Dr. Lorna Fernandez-Frez said that by focusing on priority issues that may have been neglected in the past, the PDS hopes to promote better understanding of skin health, not just in terms of scientific evidence or the innovations in dermatology, "but in the many elements of skin care that have now become too commercialized." Poster exhibits on common skin diseases were also held in PDS training hospitals. Miles Dumalagan