Psoriasis is a chronic, incurable and physically uncomfortable skin disease that is often misunderstood. Aside from the physical discomfort, most sufferers say that the stigma and the psychological challenge attached is the biggest ordeal of psoriasis. People often judge or stare and stay clear of psoriasis sufferers, as they think that one can “catch” psoriasis or that it is caused by poor hygiene. Approximately 125 million people worldwide suffer from psoriasis including well-known celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and LeAnn Rimes. We would like to be the voice of those patients suffering in silence by educating and informing the public at large about this disease.
Open to the public, the walk for Psoriasis walk from Mouille Point lighthouse to Sea Point pavilion and back was approximately five kilometres and started at 10:00 am.
In 2008 singer songwriter LeAnn Rimes disclosed that she has psoriasis. LeAnn then lent her face and skin to an awareness campaign funded by the pharmaceutical company Abbott, and run by the American Academy of Dermatology and the National Psoriasis Foundation. Abbott makes Humira, a biologic approved for several diseases, including moderate to severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The campaign was called “Stop hiding and start living with psoriasis.”
“I was first diagnosed with psoriasis at age 2 and throughout my childhood, my condition worsened to the extent that, at one point, I was covered with lesions over 80 percent of my body,” Rimes said. “I know what it’s like to worry about treatments and to be teased by peers. I want to support efforts to find a cure so others don’t have to experience the negative effects of psoriasis.
