The wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, on Wednesday enjoined the Nigerian Association of Dermatology (NAD) to improve awareness creation on skin diseases to reduce occurrence.

Mrs. Buhari gave the task at the 9th Annual General Meeting of the association with the theme: ‘Skin manifestations of internal disease’ in Abuja.

She underscored the need for the association to raise public awareness on prompt visitation to experts in appearance of any skin infection.

Represented by the wife of former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mrs. Alayinge Sylva she noted that a lot of Nigerians, including herself, on noticing any skin infection would not identify it as a health challenge or manifestation of internal disease.

She said that a lot of Nigerians engaged in all forms of activities in the name of beauty, like toning of the skin, among others, without knowing the danger inherent in such habits.

According to her, there are certain things we consume that endanger our lives and thereby manifesting on our skin.

Buhari said that through improved grassroots awareness creation a lot of health challenges like diabetics, among other diseases, bedeviling the nation would witness drastic reduction.

“We should create more awareness, partner with schools, local communities on the danger associated with skin defection.

“Before now I did not have any idea whatsoever that infection in the skin was a reflection of disorder in the body.

“Let people know the danger of what we are doing, we all know that knowledge is power, if you tell people do not eat this, he or she will never believe you.

“A lot of people suffer manifestation of the skin because of what we have being eating and this message must be taken to the grassroots on the inherent danger of our activities.”

The Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo, also charged them to intensify efforts at ridding the profession of quackery.

He decried the influx of non-professionals in the field thereby endangering the lives of poor Nigerians.

Gwazo, an expert in Epidemiology, however expressed displeasure over the low number of dermatologists in the country.

According to him, considering the nation’s population, the ideal practice is one dermatologist to 36,000 people, adding that the country needed 500,000 of these professionals.

He added that anything short of the number would be exercise in futility.

“I urge you to calculate what you need, do your hierarchy of cadres and roll it out, which is the secret behind our success as epidemiologists in the fight against Ebola.

“All the cases of Ebola in the country we predicted it two days before they could manifest.” (NAN)

•Photo shows Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari

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