World Psoriasis Day in Spain

ACCIÓ PSORIASI sent in some photos from their successful World Psoriasis Day event held in the Antiguo Instituto Nacional de la Salud in Madrid and will be providing information on media impact of the initiatives.

Sala Maluquer (Antiguo Instituto Nacional de la Salud), Madrid, Spain

Wednesday 25 October
On 25 October in the Health Ministry of Madrid the main event for World Psoriasis Day 2006 in Spain took place. The aim of the event was to inform and spread new knowledge related to psoriasis and its new treatments. The event brought together nearly 250 people, mostly patients and their relatives.

The opening was presided over by D. José Alfonso Cortés Rubio, from the Health Ministry and other speakers included Dr. José Carlos Moreno Jiménez, from the Hospital Reina Sofia in Córdoba, D. Amaro Garcia Díez, from the Hospital de la Princesa in Madrid, D. José Luís López Estebaranz and D. Pedro Zarco Montejo, both from the Fundación Hospital de Alcorcón in Madrid. IN addition, Ms. Juana Mª del Molino, President of Acció Psoriasi, spoke at the event.

To close the event, a speech followed by a discussion between the speakers and the audience was led by Manuel Torreiglesias, a well-known journalist in Spain who runs one of the most popular TV health programs on Spanish television.

The topics that were presented at the conference were: the psychosocial impact of the psoriasis and how quality of life it is affected; the importance of communication and agreement between dermatologist and patients in the choice of best treatment; the new biological therapies and results in psoriasis and other diseases; the new concepts for diagnosis and treatment for psoriatic arthritis, the importance of good prevention and co-operative work between dermatologist and rheumatologist.

The need of the World Psoriasis Day as a date to celebrate and demand more attention to the psoriasis and its patients was also discussed during the event.

The audience, who really enjoyed the conference, were encouraged to ask the speakers questions about their own experiences and concerns.