To generate awareness about the importance of skin health and bust myths about skin and hair conditions like leprosy and vitiligo, the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists & Leprologists (IADVL) launched an IADVL Skin Safar Rath, a first of its kind journey across the country.
The van will cover 12,000 km across the country on road for over two months and touch more than 18 cities educating people about skin health; the motto being Swachchh Twacha, Swastha Bharat. The van was flagged off early this week from Delhi and will visit cities like Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, Patna, Lucknow, Gwalior, Agra apart from NCR cities of Noida and Gurugram.
“The initiative is to tell people that they must approach a qualified dermatologist for any skin issue they face. There is an LED screen on a van which will show educational documentaries and videos of street plays to create awareness among people in regional languages. They will be making people aware about myths and facts of acne, fungal infections, leprosy, vitiligo, and other skin problems,” says Dr Rohit Batra, dermatogist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
“Vitiligo, commonly known as leucoderma, is a disorder that affects skin pigmentation. There is a considerable stigma attached to the disease and its patients are often outcast,” says IADVL national president Dr Mukesh Girdhar.