‘Meet the people/patient’ awareness campaign

IMPHAL, May 19: The Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL), Manipur State Branch is set to observ ‘Vitiligo Day’ on Sunday to create public awareness on various facts and myths of the benign de-pigmentation and disorder of skin.

Accordingly the Association organized a ‘Meet the people/patient’ awareness campaign through ISTV Cable Network and the recording of the program was done at Imphal Hotel, North AOC here today.

During the campaign, Dr Karam Lokendro and Dr Y Lokendro, President and Secretary respectively of IADVL Manipur State Branch, and Dr N Devendro, Dr Ranjita and Dr Julie of IADVL Manipur State Branch answered many important questions relating to Vitiligo.

Speaking on the topic ‘Vitiligo facts and myths’, Dr Karam Lokendro said Vitiligo commonly known as Leucoderma is a benign de-colouration of skin that affects approximately 1-2 % of the normal population.

Nowhere in the world are so much myths, disinformation and stigma associated with vitiligo as in India. For unknown reasons, a baseless deep rooted suspicion and fear is elicited in large number of Indian population when they come across a person having this simple de-pigmentary skin condition, he said.

Dr Karam Lokendro also said, this leads to immense social and emotional stigmatisation of the effected individual. It is therefore necessary to send a clear and loud message to each of the population against the various false information of this disease.

Vitiligo as such does not cause any physical harm to the body and can live a perfect normal life. If associated diseases are encountered, the particular disease will determine the health of the individual. There is no lost of sensation and the affected skin is intake as before. Very occasionally mild itching is noticed, otherwise there is no symptom, he added.

Dr Karam Lokendro also said, “Having been said as harmless, non injurious to body and health by vitiligo, the reason to treat the condition is simply because it has a huge cosmetic and aesthetic importance.

Modern medicine and interventions offers a good hope in the management of vitiligo. Surgery in vitiligo is a fast developing area, where almost failed by medications do certainly give a good effect. Cosmetic camouflage of the white patch is very effective and satisfying, he concluded.