Providing Sustainable Dermatological Care, SIG (2019)

Sao Tome and Principe healthcare system is under-resourced and highly dependent on foreign aid. This is especially the case in Dermatology as there are no skin specialists in the country. To address this, Sociedade Portuguesa de Dermatologia e Venereologia (SPDV) sought to:

• Develop integrated teledermatology tools
• Establish dermatological training workshops for patients and health care workers
• Improve dermatological care and treatment
• Establish educational and awareness-raising initiatives
• Create a dermatology department at Hospital Ayres de Menezes

SIG funds were used to:

• Establish and equip the first dermatology department in a national hospital in Sao Tome and Principe
• Undertake field missions and provide dermatological care in underserved communities
• Develop a DermaWeb tool to provide teledermatological services and treatment
• Provide dermatological training for physicians and general practitioners through workshops, fellowships and online lectures
• Raise public awareness about skin health through multi-media campaigns and educational workshops