Page 12 - LECTURE NOTES

2.2 Significance and brief description of common skin diseases

Skin diseases occur all over the world at significant levels. They have been identified as

a public health problem in developing countries. They are common through-out Africa
and are dominated by bacterial and superficial fungal infections. The eczemas are

ubiquitous. In some areas discoid lupus erythematosus is common and lichen planus is
seen far more frequently than in temperate countries. Then there are the more chronic

infections: Leprosy, Leishmaniasis, scabies and onchocericiasis– which affect the skin

so distinctively; the whole range of ulcers of the skin; and the serious effects on the skin
of protein malnutrition.

Skin diseases affect all segments of the population with out ethnic variability but are

more prevalent among children and in low socioeconomic groups, essentially due to
poor hygienic practices. Different studies also suggest that skin infections are more

prevalent in extreme climatic conditions. Most skin infections transmit through contact

with infected individuals or articles.

Skin diseases are among the leading causes of hospital visits in Ethiopia. An analysis

performed from June1995-July1997 to describe the pattern of skin infection at the
dermatologic referral clinic of Black Lion Teaching Hospital (BLH) showed that allergic

and infectious causes account for three quarters of skin problems. Another study carried
out in 1996 to determine the prevalence of skin diseases among school children in rural

Ethiopia, showed that 80.4% of school children assessed were found to have one or
more skin diseases.

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