History of Latin American Dermatology

MARTHA MINIÑO, RAFAEL ISA ISAissued semiannually and receives contributions from the resident physicians and nationaland foreign specialists.OTHER PUBLICATIONSIn 1978, the first book on Dominican cutaneous medicine was published, with Dr. Bogaertas publisher; it is the official textbook for Dermatology education at the main universitiesof the country. This publication remains in circulation with reprinting runningevery two years and has had eight editions already. Later on, in 1992, Dr. Bogaert togetherwith Castellazi published a Leprosy Handbook.In 1993, the second dermatological publication of the IDD was created, the Carta DermatológicaClínica-Quirúrgica, a quarterly paper which is basically aimed at the generalpractitioner and is freely distributed at the country’s main medical treatment centers.In 1994, the official bulletin of the SDD was born: Perlas Dermatológicas, edited byNilda Fernández, published quarterly. At present, the Dominican Republic has three publicationson cutaneous medicine 35 .■ The teaching of Dermatology of DermatologyThe residency in Dermatology, launched in 1967 with a one-year duration, was extendedto two years in 1974 and later on to three, upon inclusion of a previous year ofInternal Medicine to be carried out at a university hospital; in 1987 it was extended tofour years.During this time the IDD trained numerous specialists in Dermatology; others arrivedhaving studied in diverse countries, such as Brazil, Spain, the United States and Mexico, tolaunch into dermatological work in the city of Santo Domingo and other cities of the interior.At present, some 150 certified dermatologists exist in the country, among them morethan a hundred graduates of the IDCP; this residency has acquired international fame,to the point were many foreigners attend from countries such as Guatemala, Spain, ElSalvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Iran, the UnitedStates and Puerto Rico, among others.The IDCP residency also maintains exchange programs with different universities ofthe United States, like the Iowa University Hospital, New York Hospital, Washington University,STD Training Center of Washington, University of Miami, Cleveland Hospital andJackson Memorial Hospital, as well as the Dr. Gea González Hospital and the Dr. BarbaRubio Dermatology Institute of Mexico 36, 37 .Part of the medical staff of the United States navy visits the IDCP periodically, to receivetraining in tropical diseases and ITS.ProgramsPROGRAM OF STRUGGLE AGAINST LEPROSYIn the year 1972, the IDD began to receive a modest economic subsidy from the governmenton the basis of an agreement signed with the State Secretariat for Public Healthand Social Welfare. Through this agreement the Secretariat delegated to the IDD thepower to program, direct, and execute the Leprosy Control Program, with the advice ofDr. O. Hasselblad of the American Association For the Struggle Against Leprosy; the programwas launched in 1973 and currently receives help from different international institutions,such as the Fight Against Leprosy of Canada and the Royal Order of Malta. Itsdevelopment has permitted the eradication of leprosy as a public health problem beforethe foreseen year (1999); currently the prevailing rate is maintained at 0.4 every 10,000inhabitants, which is why it is considered one of the model programs in Latin America.384