Dr. Roberto TAKAOKA’s visit to Manaus launches a vital new support network while opening doors to unique environmental research on atopic dermatitis.
Last month, Dr Roberto TAKAOKA, Vice-President of ISAD, visited Manaus in the heart of Brazil’s Amazon region as part of a project by the Brazilian Atopic Dermatitis Association (AADA) to establish new support groups for patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) nationwide.
Manaus—a city of approximately 2.4 million people located on the Rio Negro (Black River) and surrounded by dense tropical forest—flourished during the 19th-century rubber boom and retains a unique environmental and social context relevant to dermatologic research.
The first AD support group meeting in Manaus, hosted by Dr Isabel Cristina LIMA ENCARNAÇÃO, was held at the Alfredo da Mata Institute, a well-regarded local hospital that began as a leprosy dispensary in the 1950s and now treats a range of dermatologic conditions, including atopic dermatitis. The session attracted patients, caregivers, and local healthcare professionals.
Conversations with local colleagues and observations at the meeting suggest that severe AD cases are encountered within the city, whereas severe disease appears to be less common in more remote, river-accessible rural areas. Manaus therefore presents an intriguing setting in which to explore, among other factors, environmental contributions to AD. Despite this, data on AD epidemiology, prevalence, and the potential impact of industrialization in the Amazon remain scarce.
The initiative to create a support group in Manaus and to promote clinical exchange may help generate valuable data from the Amazon region. ISAD encourages and supports such projects that improve understanding and care of AD.
