According to Unilever, in KZN, there are just 30 trained dermatologists serving a community of 10.7-million people, yet up to 85% of patients go to public clinics for help with their skin problems. Says Ntokozo Ngubane, a local KZN community nurse, “Many kids here have HIV and so they get serious skin problems. I see it all the time. It is a big problem. They get worse when they are not treated.”
Ntokozo is one of the 372 nurses, doctors and other medical professionals who attended a series of dermatological training days in May this year, hosted by the Vaseline Healing Project at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital Nurses’ Hall and headed up by Dr Ncoza Dlova, head of Dermatology at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine.
The training missions championed essential skincare by providing dermatological training for nurses and effective treatment for their patients. The national initiative is set to bring training, treatment and relief to all South Africans in the upcoming months.
Unilever South Africa Skin Care and Hair Care director Cathalijne Oudijk said, “The Vaseline Healing Project is a perfect example of how our brands with purpose are working, through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to improve the health and well-being of people globally. Access to quality care for skin conditions is scarce in South Africa with just one dermatologist for every 3-4 million people in the public sector of health care. Vaseline wants to empower the men and women on South Africa’s frontline of healthcare – the nurses who often provide the first link between our local healthcare system and communities. By providing nurses with the tools and training to properly diagnose and treat skin problems, we hope to empower, not only them, but the communities they serve, to better understand their skin conditions and how best to treat them before they become more serious.”
Vaseline will also be visiting 100 schools in local KZN communities. 101,000 jars of Vaseline BLUESEAL will be distributed to students. In addition, Vaseline will donate first aid kits to each school and provide dermatological training to the school nurses.
