Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes (Facebook)

Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes wants the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to funnel its funds toward psoriasis treatment for Filipinos. 

"We are urging PCSO to focus on charity and help people with medical needs such as psoriasis," Reyes, a vice chairman of the Committee on Health, said in a statement. 

He cited a survey conducted by Psoriasis Philippines (PsorPhil) which showed the heavy burden and treatment challenges of people with psoriasis. 

"The survey showed that over a third (37.1 percent) of respondents are unemployed while a little over half of the respondents (52.3 percent) earn less than PHP20,000 a month. Because most of them cannot afford the cost of sustaining their treatments, patients had to take out loans or ask for aid from government agencies," Reyes said. 

"Apart from the financial burden of the disease, the survey also showed that almost 8 out of 10 (77 percent) respondents reported experiencing depression while 66 percent dealt with anxiety. This just shows that the suffering of people afflicted with psoriasis are more than skin-deep," he added. 

The Department of Health (DOH) estimates that around 1.8 million or 1.5 percent to two percent of Filipinos are affected by Psoriasis - an autoimmune condition where the immune system of an individual is overactive and attacks the body, manifesting as thick, red, and sometimes silvery patches on the skin. 

The neophyte lawmaker emphasized the importance of early detection and intervention to address its associated co-morbidities and prevent severe complications. 

"Not much attention is given to psoriasis and this is why we are pushing for a bill to address the unmet needs and improve the quality of life of Filipinos living with this disease," he said. 

Reyes is co-author of House Bill (HB) No. 1106  which pushes for a National Integrated Program to Prevent and Cure Psoriasis. 

He said the measure would ensure that people with psoriasis would get the help and treatment they need. 

"There are many instances where individuals are under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed. This is why we need to provide mechanisms for early identification, screening, and diagnosis of persons suffering from psoriasis," he said. 

According to PsorPhil, up to a third of people with psoriasis have, or will develop, psoriatic arthritis, a condition in which the joints are also affected, causing debilitating symptoms including pain, stiffness, and irreversible joint damage. 

Currently, there is no cure for the disease which commonly affects the skin and nails.