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Mali Skin Doctors Use New App To Reach Distant Patients

Mali Skin Doctors Use New App To Reach Distant Patients

In Mali, where skin conditions are widespread and skin doctors are scarce, physicians have turned to technology to treat patients remotely.

From his Bamako office, Professor Ousmane Faye, one of a small number of dermatologists in Mali, examines photos of an arm and a torso afflicted by a skin pigmentation disorder.

The photos arrived the same day the patient visited his doctor in Koulikoro, 57 kilometres (35 miles) away.

Faye’s pilot program, in place for 18 months, allows general practitioners working in even the most remote areas to consult with a specialist.

From The Star.

In a country that has around one dermatologist per million people, that is an invaluable aid. For in Mali, according to estimates, nearly 30% of the population suffers from skin diseases, such as leprosy, psoriasis and eczema.

”The patient from Koulikoro suffers from hypochromia lesions with some healthy patches of skin,” says Faye, head of dermatology at Mali’s national disease control centre (CNAM).

”Two months ago, the patient had treatment that made the lesions worse,” he added. By this he meant traditional remedies.

Read more at The Star.