Dr Raboobee, president of the Vitiligo Society of South Africa, has coordinated efforts in three major cities in South Africa to host Vitiligo Day meetings. Dr Raboobee’s interest in vitiligo began when he noticed the dismal fear in patients given a diagnosis of vitiligo, many thinking that they were going to turn all white in a few weeks. He realised that there was very little known about vitiligo and that many patients thought that nothing could be done about their condition. The condition evoked strong negative psychological effects on sufferers. He felt there was a massive need to create awareness in the country as few patients knew about the dramatic effects one achieved with Excimer laser and phototherapy and many were unaware of topical, systemic and surgical possibilities.
The Vitiligo Society of South Africa was established in 2008 to provide exactly this type of awareness and support to patients with vitiligo. The Society maintains a website which is kept up to date with latest treatments and discoveries in the field of vitiligo. An annual World Vitiligo Day meeting is held in various parts of the country, Newsletters are distributed. Dr Raboobee is also part of the International Vitiligo Working Group and has contributed book chapters and articles in peer reviewed journals. He has recruited several vitiligo researchers to South Africa to teach local dermatologists the latest surgical techniques in the field.
Dr Raboobee insists that without the support of his team – secretary, treasurer, co-opted members and dermatologists in other cities, the degree of awareness of vitiligo that the VSSA has achieved would not have been possible. Dr Raboobee appeared on two health talk shows on SABC 2 to discuss the subject of vitiligo and has also taken awareness campaigns to schools. A poster on vitiligo designed by him has been translated into 4 languages already and more are on the way.
Dr Noufal Raboobee
Dermatologist
President: Vitiligo Society of South Africa
T: +27 31 265 1505
W: www.drnraboobee.com
A: Suite 292, Westville Hospital, 7 Spine Road, Westville, 3630, South Africa