U Within Association holds the First Patients’ Summit as part of its unflinching efforts towards facilitating physical and mental wellbeing of patients in Pakistan

May 7, Karachi: U Within Association held the First Patients’ Summit here today at a local hotel, in recognition of the champions fighting severe skin diseases. The event was attended by consultant dermatologists, patients, members of the Association and important people from the corporate sector.

Key speakers and honourable guests of the Patients’ Summit were Dr Najia Ashraf, Dr Manzoor Memon, Mr Farid Ali, Mr & Ms Ranesh Vankwani,  Dr Riaz Memon, Ms Boba Venture, Mr Saqib Baqai, Dr Wajahat Khan, Dr Jawed and Mr Rashid Siddiqui, Mr Jamil Mughal and the famous film director Syed Noor.

Ashraf highlighted in her speech that there are newer treatment options available for patients today, like biologics that result in 90 per cent to 100 per cent clear skin in some cases. Ali, suffering from psoriasis himself, shared his experience and motivated the patients to fight back to regain their lives.

While speaking at the event Syed Noor, talked about the importance of such initiatives and how even he, himself had misconceptions about skin diseases. He also appreciated the courage and optimism of the patients present at the event who shared their heartwarming stories with people attending the summit.

 The objective of the Summit was to provide voice and courage to patients suffering from severe skin diseases and to create awareness of this widespread malady.

Chaired by famous television host/anchor and social activist Dr Muzna Ebrahim, The U Within Association is a patient welfare organization that was created two years ago with the aim of training both patients and doctors to deal with various skin diseases prevailing in the country and to create awareness about them, with a special focus on urticaria and psoriasis. The Association started off as a small group of doctors, psychiatrists and life coaches providing counselling to patients who had become depressed, isolated and even suicidal because of the long duration and unpredictability of their disease. The Association hosts regular patient, doctor and counselor group meets, arranges for free consults with the best dermatologists in the country and even provides free treatment.

At present the Association is lobbying with pharmaceutical companies and the government sector for the provision of free/subsidized medicines for deserving patients. Thanks to the support of the pharmaceutical sector it has succeeded in helping many patients who are now on the road to a full physical and emotional recovery.

The PR of the Summit was done by StarlinksPR & Events as part of their CSR initiatives.