Diseases & Conditions

Vitamin D deficiency occurs when the body does not have enough vitamin D to support normal calcium absorption, bone health, and immune function. Vitamin D is produced in the skin on exposure to sunlight and obtained in smaller amounts from food, and while Nigeria's abundant sunlight might suggest deficiency should be rare, studies show it is surprisingly common, particularly among women who cover most of their skin for cultural or religious reasons, people who spend most of the day indoors, and those with darker skin, since higher melanin content reduces the skin's efficiency at producing vitamin D from sunlight. Deficiency is often silent for a long time, with symptoms only becoming noticeable once bone or muscle effects are significant.

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune skin condition in which patches of skin lose their natural pigment and turn white, caused by the destruction of melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin. It affects roughly 0.5-2% of the world's population and can occur at any age, though onset before age 30 is most common. Vitiligo is not contagious, not life-threatening, and does not affect the underlying health of the skin, but its visibility, particularly on darker skin tones where the contrast is most pronounced, can have a significant psychological and social impact. In Nigeria, misconceptions that vitiligo is contagious or a curse contribute to stigma that often affects patients more than the physical symptoms themselves.