ILDS Newsletter No. 26

nal is produced and makes for much better communication with contributors. It also means that it is produced under the aegis of the IFD – an important association that opens communication with an organisation actively involved in community medicine. We also have to thank the British Association of Dermatologists for its continuing editorial support and, in particular, John Caulfi eld, for his services. The fi rst issue stated that our objectives were to bring up to date, relevant information on the diagnosis and treatment of skin disease to health workers in rural areas, using the recourses available to them. It also sets out to provide information that can be used to educate health workers and the populations they serve. So how are we doing in terms of these objectives? Most comments have come from dermatologists in established medical centres and these have been encouraging. However it is hard to know how a rural medical offi cer in a village in Tanzania or India views the journal; we welcome feedback! It is a challenge to keep the contributions appropriate to the training and resources of community health offi cers. In this respect we have been very fortunate in having increasing numbers of papers from centres dealing with dermatology in the community. Recent examples include epidemiological studies of school children in North Eastern Ethiopia and a study on scabies and myiasis in Nigeria. The paper in this issue on skin diseases in HIV orphans is a collaborative study between the ALERT centre in Ethiopia and the London School of Tropical Medicine in London. Other papers dealing with practical problems of obtaining clean water, using banana leaves for sterile dressings and the use of emollients are examples of practical methods of managing dermatological conditions in the community. In a wider context the journal also aims to increase awareness of the need for Dermatology services in developing countries and to draw attention to the opportunities for providing them. The numbers of specialists spending time helping to train medical offi cers, nurses and doctors overseas is encouraging. Distribution is always a challenge! It is disappointing when piles of the journal end up on an offi ce shelf, rather than in the hands of workers in the community who need them. But on the whole distribution is very eff ective thanks to the commitment of helpers in the UK and overseas who see that copies reach the people they are meant for. The journal is available on line, which greatly increases its availability. The journal has electronic links with Teaching Aids at Low Cost (TALC) and we are establishing links with other health education websites.