South African National Eczema Association (SANEA) established

Eczema sufferers in South Africa will soon be given new hope with the launch of the country’s first formalised eczema support group. The South African National Eczema Association (SANEA) was recently established in response to a dire need for eczema sufferers to receive peer support in the management and treatment of the condition.

SANEA strives to improve the lives and health of individuals suffering from eczema, as well as their families, through support, education and research. The association aims to do this by:

• Providing a wealth of information for eczema sufferers or parents of children that suffer from eczema;
• Providing access, where possible, to quality medical advice on eczema through a network of medical professionals;
• Offering sufferers an opportunity to interact with other sufferers through a formalised support network;
• Actively educating parents and educators about eczema in order to give children the best possible experience at school; and
• Creating societal awareness about the burden that eczema has on individuals and their families.

The word ‘eczema’ was derived from the Greek word that means ‘to bubble or boil over’ and it is commonly also referred to as atopic dermatitis. Statistics show that approximately 10-20 % of children and 1-3 % of adults around the world suffer from eczema. It usually starts in childhood with about 90 % of people being diagnosed before the age of 5 years old.

Currently, the operations of the association are being driven by eczema sufferer, Lynne Niemann, and mother of a sufferer, Tanja Praetorius, with support from local dermatologists and health care givers.

Individuals who are in need of support and organisations, health care givers or health practitioners that wish to assist or contribute to the operations/funding of SANEA can contact the association as follows:

Email: lynne@eczemasa.co.za

Mobile: 078 320 4054

Facebook: South African National Eczema Association – SANEA

Twitter: @EczemaSA