[VIDEO] Zee Avi Composed A Song Based On The Struggles Faced By Psoriasis Patients
"I want them to know that it's not contagious."
By Gowri Chitra — 12 Feb 2020, 02:53 PM
In conjunction with World Psoriasis Day 2019, Novartis and the Psoriasis Association of Malaysia have launched a petition to garner support for psoriasis patients in Malaysia to get better access to treatments
As part of this, they invited popular homegrown artist Zee Avi to sit down with a group of psoriasis patients to have an honest conversation about what it's like to live with the skin condition.
The patients truly opened up, sharing all about the challenges they face as psoriasis patients, as well as their hopes for the future.
Watch the touching sharing session below:
Did you know that there are an estimated 500,000 Malaysians living with psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that causes the skin cells of affected individuals to multiply at a rapid rate. This process pushes old skin to the surface, forming red scaly patches on the body.
Though the effects on one's skin are the most obvious result of psoriasis, it's actually so much more than just a skin condition.
About 30% of psoriasis patients may develop psoriatic arthritis and if left untreated, psoriasis patients are even at risk of developing other serious health issues like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, and chronic kidney disease.
Psoriasis affects about 125 million people globally. In Malaysia, the skin condition affects approximately 1% to 3% of the general population.
There is currently no cure for psoriasis, but there are treatments available to help patients manage the symptoms. However, many Malaysian patients unfortunately have limited access to these treatments.
That's why the petition for them to get better access to treatments is so important. With these treatments, they will be able to live normal lives without pain, reduce the number of flare-ups, avoid developing the comorbidities that come with psoriasis, and get the chance of having clear skin.
Zee Avi's talk with the psoriasis patients was all part of a creative effort to support the petition. Inspired by their conversations, she then created a song based on the struggles and realities of living with psoriasis.
Aptly titled My Skin, the song was written and composed by Zee Avi and produced by Yuswa Ansari.
“It was a great pleasure for me to be involved in such a meaningful project. I am pleased to have met all these strong, inspiring people who helped me understand psoriasis on a personal level. I hope that with this song, we are able to unite all Malaysians to come out and support them,” said Zee Avi.
Once the song was ready, it was the psoriasis patients themselves who brought it to life!
14 psoriasis patients came together to record the song and film the music video, all while overcoming their flare-ups. It's truly a joy to see them all having fun singing, dancing, and playing instruments as they finally get to tell their stories in their own voice and send a powerful message.
Check out the fun music video below:
Do your part in helping the many psioriasis patients in Malaysia by signing the petition today!
