Leading pharmaceutical company, Macter International Ltd. hosted a series of lectures to create awareness among healthcare professionals on the prevalence of psoriasis in Pakistan. Psoriasis is a long-lasting autoimmune disease characterized by patches on skin. These skin patches are typically red, dry, itchy, and scaly and varies in severity from small, localized patches to complete body coverage.
Prominent dermatologist Dr. Rabia Ghafoor, during her session at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi said, “Psoriasis is not just a skin disease it’s an immune system disorder having effects beyond skin, patients do not take skin diseases seriously as they think it is not life threatening. Awareness level of skin diseases like psoriasis is very low despite the fact that its prevalence is increasing in developing countries.”
Dr. Rabia underlined that at least 2 to 3 percent Pakistanis suffered from Psoriasis and that it was imperative for doctors to understand the disease and enable patient get access to better management of this condition.
In a separate session held at the Institute of Skin Diseases, renowned consultant rheumatologist Dr. Saleha Ishaq (Aga Khan University Hospital) conducted an awareness session amongst doctors about clinical presentation of psoriatic arthritis and the comorbidities associated with it.
“Studies show that between 10 and 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis,” she stressed, mentioning the various modes of treatment available to manage the condition, including the advent of biologics.
Talking about the initiative, Aamir Naveed, Chief Operating Officer, Macter International Ltd said, “As an organization, our first responsibility is to our customers – the doctor who prescribes our product and the patient who uses them. Therefore, true to our commitment, we are pleased to host sessions on psoriasis for better awareness amongst HCPs on the occasion of World Psoriasis Day.”
The Pakistan Psoriasis Foundation reports that in an analysis of survey data from 5,000 psoriasis patients, 20% of women said that psoriasis was a large problem in their everyday lives, compared to 12% of men. Around 25 million people worldwide – 2 to 3 percent of the total population – have psoriasis.