Member since: July 2020
ADAR was established in September 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Argentine Civil Association of Atopic Dermatitis (Asociación de Dermatitis Atópica Argentina (ADAR)) is made up of patients and their relatives suffering from this disease.
Their main objectives are:
- To promote the diffusion, research and training in the medical community about the improvement of the different treatments of atopic dermatitis and their early usage.
- To be a reference center specialized in the provision of healthcare, advice, consultation and promotion of existing therapies, treatments and protection in Health Rights for people suffering from atopic dermatitis.
- To promote active participation and accompaniment of the families of patients affected by this problem and sensitize society about its existence.
Get to know more about ADAR below!
Thank you to Mariana Palacios (Chairwoman), Monica Ladner (Member), Gabriela Cociña (Treasurer) and Silvia (translator) from ADAR for sharing their stories, their insights and the work of the organization.
What do you want me to know about your organization?
We want to join GlobalSkin to connect with other communities to help patients with dermatitis. Especially in South America, there are not many patient organizations, and it can be isolating. So, to join GlobalSkin will help us work towards our goals. We are excited to provide support to patients in Argentina and other Spanish speaking patient organizations.
What do you consider to be your organization’s biggest accomplishment and success?
We have connected patients with specialized doctors who focus on dermatitis. We did this through our advocacy work, and doctors started to pay more attention to atopic dermatitis. Second, we have been able to support patients who live in rural areas, who don’t have access to doctors, and we work as a bridge between patients and specialized doctors. Doctors have started to study this disease more and have become more trained in helping atopic dermatitis patients. We have all this without funding for the past few years, and only recently have we been able to find funding for the work that we do.
What are the biggest challenges that vitiligo patients face?
The lack of information, especially for those who do not live in the city, as well as lack of doctors who understand the disease and most importantly the lack of access to medications and treatment. For our income, the medication is very expensive and medical insurance does not cover the costs. For example, Dupilumab, creams, ointments are very rare to access, basically almost impossible. And with COVID-19, everyone is focused on the pandemic and other medical conditions are not addressed for the moment. We are mothers and patient advocates and our duty is to fight for atopic dermatitis patients.