This type of condition is often underestimated by health institutions, as they do not consider aspects beyond the degree of disability as indicators of quality of life. In 2019, dermatitis (atopic, seborrheic and contact) resulted in the greatest burden of all skin conditions.

On September 14, World Atopic Dermatitis (AD) Day, Pfizer seeks to raise awareness of the social and emotional impact of AD patients; which is a systemic inflammatory disease that causes intense itching, eczema, skin lesions, dry skin, pain, skin infections, and possible hospitalizations.

"These symptoms of AD translate into a social and psychological burden, product of sleep disorders, extreme itching, episodes of anxiety and depression, lower school or work productivity and social exclusion, due to the incorrect stigma it has as a contagious disease," says Dr. Karina Santana, Medical Manager of Pfizer's Inflammation portfolio.

One of the key challenges in treating AD is the lack of local epidemiological and clinical data on the disease, which makes it difficult to show the impact it has on patients in Latin America. Data on the prevalence of AD are not available in many countries and in some cases are not defined for the adult population.

Another problem is that the diagnosis of skin diseases by first contact doctors can be inaccurate and referral to specialists delayed, due to the low number of courses dedicated to dermatology during medical studies. Finally, there are few specialists in medical dermatology in the countries of the region. These factors make it difficult to diagnose these conditions and can lead to an underestimation of the actual impact of skin diseases on the population.

"This World DA Day, let's remember that timely diagnosis, innovative therapeutic solutions, backed by leading scientific research, and adherence to treatment are key to seeing long-term results," says Dr. Santana.