By IANS,
Islamabad : More than five percent of Pakistanis suffer from a life-long skin disorder called psoriasis and this percentage is increasing each passing year, health experts have said.
The government was, however, neglecting the health sector, and there has been no budgetary allocation for non-communicable diseases in the 2012-13 budget, the Daily Times reported.
Psoriasis is a life-long skin disorder that causes red, scaly patches or lesions on the skin. The lesions can show up on any area of the skin. Psoriasis affects nearly three percent of the world’s population.
At a conference titled “Dermato-Expert League 2012”, Brig. Zafar Iqbal Sheikh, head of dermatology at the Military Hospital is Rawalpindi, said there was lack of awareness among people about psoriasis.
“The patient suffering from the disease is ignorant of the fact that he would have to continue his treatment for life. This disease is non-communicable but due to lack of knowledge, people avoid being social with psoriasis patients,” Sheikh said.
The World Psoriasis Day is observed every year Oct 29.