Tell policymakers it’s about your skin, and so much more.

Act Now

For millions of people around the world, skin conditions and diseases are more than what meets the eye. They represent a journey filled with challenges: the difficult search for a diagnosis, the struggle for accessible care and appropriate and affordable treatment, and the battle against the invisible yet deeply felt impact on mental health. Right now, you can help change this by signing our open letter right now.

Your voice is key in advocating for a future where every individual around the world living with a skin condition or disease receives the care, respect, and attention they deserve. Help us reach policymakers around the world by signing our open letter below.

For millions of people around the world, skin conditions and diseases are more than what meets the eye. They represent a journey filled with challenges: the difficult search for a diagnosis, the struggle for accessible care and appropriate and affordable treatment, and the battle against the invisible yet deeply felt impact on mental health. Right now, you can help change this by signing our open letter right now.

Your voice is key in advocating for a future where every individual around the world living with a skin condition or disease receives the care, respect, and attention they deserve. Help us reach policymakers around the world by signing our open letter below.

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Open Letter

Dear Health Ministers,

Your help is needed.

We urge you to address a crucial health issue that touches billions of lives more deeply than is often recognized – the significant burden of skin conditions and diseases on impacted individuals and their families.

Our skin is the largest organ and is critical to our overall health, but it does not receive the attention it deserves in global healthcare policy. Every day, individuals around the globe living with highly prevalent as well as rare skin diseases endure the physical, psychological, and economic toll of their conditions, often in silence. We need your help to bridge the gap between suffering and support. Will you help us raise awareness around this pressing matter that significantly impacts the daily life of a significant proportion of your citizens?

Why This Matters

Skin conditions are among the most common health challenges, yet they are overlooked. They cause profound disability and hardship for billions of people. In 2019 alone, there were approximately 4.86 billion new cases diagnosed globally, contributing to 42.9 million disability-adjusted life years. Beyond the direct symptoms, individuals with skin diseases face social stigmatization, mental health challenges, and financial burdens exacerbated by a lack of adequate healthcare expertise and resources as well as limited access to specialists and treatment options.

However, there is an opportunity for better health outcomes when health policy leaders like you unite in action. Today, we invite you to join this movement of transformation, to improve the lives of those affected by skin conditions.

Actions to ensure your citizens have better health outcomes

Public Recognition: We urge a public declaration by policy makers through a World Health Assembly resolution acknowledging the significant impact and burden of skin conditions on individuals’ lives, thereby placing it as a priority on the global and national health agendas.

Strategic Action Plan: We seek a comprehensive, transparent strategy to address the burden of skin diseases within healthcare systems. Informed by the dermatology community (including doctors, patients, and researchers), this plan would detail tangible steps toward increasing funding for research on prevention, which is also critical to reducing costs, improving diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases and strengthening the health workforce worldwide by providing more training to front line healthcare workers ensuring universal health coverage.

Collaboration with Experts: We recommend meeting and involving specialized groups, like the World Skin Health Coalition, and/or national societies that represent skin patients and dermatologists in your country in discussions to ensure that policies and healthcare solutions are informed by a wealth of expertise and the lived experiences of patients.

Focusing on this area of the highest unmet need – skin diseases – provides a clear pathway for the delivery of Universal Health Coverage where investing more and investing wisely will improve outcomes and reduce overall costs to health care systems – and indeed society.

Stand with us in commitment and action. Your leadership as advocates can be the catalyst for a global movement that acknowledges, supports, and uplifts billions of people living with the burden of a skin disease or condition. Let us create a more equal world for patients of rare and common skin diseases.

Sincerely,

The undersigned

Sign Our Open Letter Now

Close up of a girls face with skin condition, and text that reads "Tell policy-makers its about your skin and so much more"

Stories of Resilience

Explore the powerful stories of individuals living with skin conditions and diseases across the globe. These unveil the true challenges beyond the physical symptoms – the struggles from lack of timely diagnosis, lack of accessible or affordable treatments, and the often overlooked mental health impacts. Each account offers a window into personal challenges and triumphs, highlighting why our collective voice and action are vital.

Špela’s Story

Slovenia

Špela, a mother from Slovenia, founded an organization to champion the cause of families grappling with Atopic Dermatitis (AD). Her dedication stems from her personal story – a mother of four, with her two youngest sons battling the daily burdens that come with this condition.

Noel’s Experience

Kenya

In 2016, Noel’s life took a dramatic turn with the onset of Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV). Misdiagnosed and unable to afford specialist care, he endured a year of intense pain and social stigma. “People thought I was HIV positive,” Noel shares, highlighting the misconceptions and isolation he faced.

Katie’s Journey

Canada

Katie’s life story begins uniquely, born with a rare skin disease known as Cutis Marmorata Telangiectatica Congenita (CMTC). This journey isn’t simply about managing her skin condition; it is about learning to navigate a complex healthcare system and advocating for the right to proper care.

World Skin Health Coalition

The World Skin Health Coalition unites to combat the global challenges of dermatological conditions and diseases. With over 2 billion people affected, we advocate for better access, care, and recognition of skin health’s true impact. Join us in elevating skin health on the global health agenda.