Doctors & Showbiz UNITE to fight against a SKIN DISEASE for the 1st time

Karachi April 27, 2015: ‘Qissa Khuwaani – Uncover Urticaria’ was an evening of science and art coming together to spread awareness about a debilitating skin condition known as Urticaria.Organized by Novartis Pharma Pakistan, it took place on April 26th 2015 at the Marriott, Karachi.

The program had the presence of people from different walks of life including showbiz galaxy, renowned dermatologists across the country, eminent celebrities, social organizations and media personnel. Worthy guest-of-honours Zulfiqar Shilwani-Information Secretary Sindh, Dr. Salma Kausar-Senior Medical Director of KMC, Country President Novartis Shahab Rizvi also graced the occasion.

The event aspires to help improve patients' quality of life via dispersing an understanding of Urticaria through live performances and expert discussion.

The live performances, beautifully choreographed to highlight the effects Urticaria has on social and professional lives of the victims, entailed a piece by Joshinder Chabbria, a real doctor patient interaction, and a theatrical ramp show lead by famous Model & Socialist Nadia Hussain.  Each segment elaborates various aspects of a typical Urticaria patient’s ordeal.Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) is a severe form of skin allergy prevalent in Pakistan, which may affect anyone at any time.

It was highlighted that the effects of CSU are more than skin deep. Alongside the distressing physical symptoms, CSU can be a great psychological, social& economic burden.CSU's spontaneous nature may leave people living in isolation due to fear of unpredictable outbreaks.

The highly interactive expert forum included discussions exploring the issues pertaining to Urticaria.Highly respectable dermatologists namely Dr. Shahid Abbas, Dr. Azer Rashid, Dr. Iqbal Tareen,Dr. Pervez Iqbal, Dr. BadarDhannani, Dr. J I Bhatti, Dr. Afzal Lodhi, Dr.Hatim Ali Shah, Dr. Faisal Khilji, Dr.Sharf Ali Shah, Dr. Atif Kazmi, Dr. Saeed Haneef, Dr.AzeemJahangeer, Dr. Haseeb Sajjad, Dr. Ijaz, Dr.Uzair Qureshi, Dr. Tariq Zaman, Dr. GM Cheema, Dr.Najia Ashraf,among others shared their valuable insights.

The 1st ever patient group – The ‘U within Association’, also attended the event with innovative activities to promote public awareness about urticaria. The evening’s finale was a great song dedicated to the Urticaria patients by the very famous Music Icon Natasha Baig and Pakistan Idol runner-up Sajid Khan.