World Psoriasis Day falls on 29 October, but the plight of people with this severe, stigmatising disease calls for regular activities aimed at raising public awareness. - Psoriasis is a non-infectious, inflammatory skin disease that affects up to 3% of the adult population in Poland, says Prof. Joanna Narbutt, MD, PhD, National Consultant in Dermatology and Venereology - Most often the first symptoms appear in young adults, aged about 20 years. About 1 200 000 people suffer from psoriasis in Poland. Roughly 35% of these also suffer from psoriatic arthritis (PsA). It is a genetic disease, so if there is a family history of psoriasis, the likelihood of developing the condition increases - up to 41% if both parents are affected. Unfortunately, not all patients receive adequate, effective therapy to remove visible symptoms. A major problem is systemic inflammation, which has a major impact on the functioning of internal organs causing cardiovascular disease - heart attacks, atherosclerosis, dyslipidaemia, but also obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or diabetes. - Because the lesions are visible, they cause stigmatisation - you can see the lesions, others ask about them, look at them, and patients feel they are inferior. They are ashamed of their illness, start avoiding company, often lose their jobs or stop studying. Their quality of life is reduced, they become depressed and often have suicidal thoughts. We can treat this disease, control the symptoms and help our patients. Let us build awareness in our society! - Better knowledge of this disease and its course will support our patients and allow them to function better in society! - Prof. Joanna Narbutt appeals Patients are isolated and excluded from their normal social environment - at school, at work, at the swimming pool, at the beach, in the hair salon. As a result, they avoid activity, social life, indicate that they feel rejected, have feelings of unattractiveness, sadness, shame. Faced with the difficult situation related to access to therapy in Poland, they feel helpless and lose hope for normal social and professional functioning, emphasises Dagmara Samselska, President of the Union of Associations of Psoriasis and Psoriasis Patients. People affected by psoriasis have had many unpleasant experiences. Ania, whose great passion is swimming, has suffered from chronic psoriasis since she was 17. There were times when she was not allowed into the pool due to protests from others. Although the lifeguards knew that psoriasis is not a contagious disease, they could find no other way out of the situation than to ask her to leave the swimming pool. Sunshine can be beneficial for psoriasis. Luke went to the beach to sunbathe. When he exposed his body, covered in red spots, the little girl's mother quickly picked her up and ran away. Luke tried to explain that psoriasis cannot be contracted, but the woman remained deaf to any explanation. According to the WHO Report (2016) - 98% patients declare a negative impact of psoriasis on emotional life, 94% on social contacts, 70% on family life, 68% on career, 38% on physical fitness, 17% on intimacy and 21% on learning. All these indicators are higher in the psoriatic arthritis patient group. The report 'The needs of patients with psoriasis in Poland' (2017) prepared by the Union of Psoriasis Patients' Associations and the MY Patients Foundation indicates that even in the winter months, 56% psoriasis patients significantly feel embarrassment and shame about the appearance of their skin. The warm months are particularly difficult for this group of patients. National campaign DISCOVER RECOGNISE ACCEPT This year's edition of the DISCOVER ACCEPT campaign begins with a spot based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale The Enchanted Prince. The subsequent films will be presented a few weeks apart. - I hope that the surprising and instructive story of our characters, which refers to childhood memories and the values of poems and fairy tales known to all of us, will influence changes in social attitudes towards people with psoriasis," says Dagmara Samselska from the West Pomeranian Psoriasis Association PSORIASIS, the initiator of the campaign. A fairy tale is often a tool that serves the overriding goal of education. It can help to introduce important content. It plays an important role in the creation of a person's personality, as it has a huge impact on a child during the period when it is forming. The campaign, like last year's, involves the Kabaret Ani Mru Mru, whose members provided the voices for the spots. - Several activities will be organised as part of the campaign. One of the most important is to be No Camouflage Day - 24 AugustThe project aims to encourage patients to "shed" clothing that is unnecessary in hot weather to hide their psoriatic lesions. To help with this, we will be posting material on the www.luszczyca.edu.pl: - information about psoriasis, to be printed out and given to those around us who are interested, - a short guide on how to cope with the interest in our disease. We will meet in Warsaw at Plac Zamkowy, we will educate passers-by, in our tent a dermatologist will give basic information on the prevention and treatment of psoriasis, and those who visit us will receive gifts funded by our partners - invites Dagmara Samselska. - The social campaign DISCOVER, RECOGNISE, ACCEPT is an excellent way of educating the public and drawing attention to the problems of people struggling with the stigmatising disease of psoriasis - says Agnieszka Bartczak, a psychologist. - The activities will help to learn about and understand the disease, and thus reduce the fear of sick people. This is expected to result in greater acceptance and better functioning of sufferers in society. - It is hard, yes, but if people around us were more accepting, we would live better... sometimes so little gives a lot...' says Natalia, a psoriasis sufferer. The campaign has received the Honorary Patronage of the Patient Ombudsman, the Polish Dermatological Society, the Polish Rheumatological Society and the Union of Associations of Psoriasis and Psoriasis Patients. The campaign is made possible thanks to the support of the companies: Eli Lilly Sp. z o.o., Novartis Poland Sp. z o.o. and AbbVie Polska Sp. z o.o. Information on events, spots and news can be found at www.luszczyca.edu.pl under the campaign's dedicated tab. (Information sent by the Union of Associations of Psoriasis and Psoriasis Patients)
