The Association Franco-Congolaise du Vitiligo (AFCV), which was created in December 2021 with the support and sponsorship of the AFV, has been very active ever since. She recently initiated a very important training course for doctors (dermatologists, anatomical pathologists, nurses, etc.) in Haut-Katanga (province of the Democratic Republic of Congo) specifically on the subject of vitiligo.
Doctors’ interest in vitiligo
Julien Seneschal, Professor of Dermatology at Bordeaux University Hospital and member of our Scientific Committee, had already dedicated a first session of 2 hours of training a few months ago. Since then, the demand has expanded with the support of the DR Congo Ministry of Health.
Martine Carré, President of the AFV, acted as an intermediary between him and Mrs. Huguette Kalenga Fabiola, President of the AFCV, and organized the logistics of this training. Together, they defined the doctors’ expectations and Huguette managed to disseminate the information very widely since the training was attended by a total of 435 participants!
The audience consisted of authorities from the provincial Ministry of Health of Haut-Katanga (the Secretary-General and some members of the Minister’s office), as well as dermatologists, biologists, anapaths, nurses, and general practitioners.
Scientific and verified information on vitiligo
This training provided a better understanding of the scientific arguments concerning the pathophysiology of vitiligo, in order to better counter the beliefs and certain ideas that try to equate depigmentation due to vitiligo with a fault, a sin or a curse. Professor Seneschal, as an expert in vitiligo, researcher, and dermatologist in one of the reference centers in France, was therefore able to explain: what vitiligo is, its etiology, the mechanisms at the origin of the disease, how to make a diagnosis, the treatments and the impacts of this blatant and stigmatizing disease. He spoke about advances and the latest scientific advances for new treatments.
According to the President of the AFCV (photo above), the training met the expectations of all clinicians. Interesting exchanges also took place after the training on the management of people with vitiligo. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, thanks to the remarkable actions of the AFCV, many media outlets continue to relay information about vitiligo: things are progressing at a remarkable speed!
