Dear GlobalSkin Members,

We are celebrating a momentous achievement for skin patients everywhere! As many of you are aware, in a historic move to elevate skin health on the global public health agenda, Member States at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) adopted the resolution titled “Skin Diseases as a Global Public Health Priority.” The resolution mandates the development of a Global Plan of Action that will focus on prevention, early detection, effective treatment, and long-term care, while promoting equitable access to affordable, high-quality services and integrating skin health into broader health systems. Now that the resolution has passed, GlobalSkin will continue to be incredibly involved in this ground-breaking work which includes shaping the consultation process that will inform the coming Global Action Plan.

GlobalSkin Members are invited to attend our Annual General Meeting on June 25, 9:00–11:00 EDT | 15:00–17:00 CEST. The online meeting will begin with the President’s Report highlighting significant initiatives, followed by an interactive session to gather member input on various topics. Full Member primary contacts will vote on important motions, while Associate and Affiliate Members are welcome to join as observers. Be sure to register in advance and visit the Member area of our website (sign-in required) to access the agenda and motions for this year, as well as audited financial statements and AGM minutes from 2024. Any questions regarding the AGM may be directed to Nimra Lalani (Membership and Grants Coordinator).

Voting in the GlobalSkin Board of Directors Election concluded on June 20. The results for the four open seats this year will be announced during the Annual General Meeting on June 25. We wish the candidates all the very best!

For candidate profiles and other Board Election-related details, click here.

This year, GlobalSkin proudly celebrates its 10th Anniversary—a decade marked by remarkable growth, powerful collaborations, and meaningful impact. Since our founding in 2015, we’ve built a global network of over 300 patient organizations in 74 countries, representing 59+ dermatological disease areas—an inspiring testament to the strength of patient voices worldwide.

Our member organizations are the heart of GlobalSkin. Your expertise is needed to help shape GlobalSkin’s Member programming so that we can support your work in the best ways possible. From your answers, we hope to learn what you value most about your Membership in our organization and how we can grow and improve. 

GlobalSkin is proud to support patient engagement in research and medicines development through the EUPATI Patient Expert Training Programme. Our exclusive scholarship offers patient leaders in dermatology the opportunity to become certified patient experts, equipped with the knowledge and tools to actively contribute to research, regulatory processes, and healthcare decision-making. 

We’re thrilled to share that 33 Young Patient Leaders from around the world have signed up to join GlobalSkin’s new Young Patient Leaders Council! This passionate and inspiring group includes representation from all WHO regions and spans a diverse range of dermatological conditions, including Albinism, Psoriasis, Vitiligo, and CMCT.

To help guide the Council's direction and impact, seven passionate young advocates have been selected to form the Young Patient Leaders Working Group. We look forward to working alongside this Group to co-create a Roadmap for the future, grounded in youth leadership, global collaboration, and meaningful change.

Following the inspiring regional discussions at the GlobalSkin Conference in April, we’ve been reflecting on and exploring how collaboration on a regional basis can best move forward in the second half of 2025 and beyond. While each region is at a different stage of this journey, we are committed to supporting tailored approaches that reflect local needs, priorities, and opportunities. 

Over the coming weeks, GlobalSkin will be working with members to further define the goals and areas for collaboration that were brainstormed in-person and begin shaping meaningful next steps together. Whether as Regional Networks or informal regional collaborations, this represents a powerful opportunity to strengthen our global community and advance shared priorities in skin patient advocacy. 

Stay tuned for more updates as these plans take shape! 

On April 24, 2025, the RareDERM Community came together for a dynamic full-day forum with 77 participants, focused on quality of life and mental health for people living with rare dermatological conditions. The session featured key insights from mental health and rare disease research, and created space for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and identifying advocacy opportunities. 

We are now working closely with forum facilitator Matt Bolz-Johnson to turn the brainstormed ideas into concrete actions and next steps for the remainder of the year. Stay tuned—exciting progress is ahead for the RareDERM Community! 

GlobalSkin's Director of Programs, Tammi Shipowick, was elected Vice-Chair of the IRDiRC Patient Advocacy Constituent Committee (PACC). She will be serving alongside newly elected chair, Kelly du Plessis, GlobalSkin Member and CEO of Rare Disease South Africa. 

GlobalSkin will participate in the 15th Georg Rajka International Symposium on Atopic Dermatitis (ISAD 2025), taking place October 24–26 in Melbourne, Australia. Recognized as a premier scientific and clinical meeting in the atopic dermatitis field, ISAD provides a valuable platform for advancing patient-centred dialogue and collaboration.

GlobalSkin is proud to continue our partnership with the Global Atopic Dermatitis Atlas (GADA)—a groundbreaking initiative advancing research and understanding of atopic dermatitis worldwide. 

Are you passionate about improving how AD is measured, tracked, and understood? Whether you're a dermatologist, healthcare professional, patient, researcher, or policymaker, your voice matters. Join GADA’s global consensus survey and contribute to building a clearer, more accurate picture of AD epidemiology. Your input will help drive smarter policy, better care, and stronger global awareness. Take the Survey Now. 

GlobalSkin-Europe Members are invited to join us in Paris on September 16 from 13:00 to 18:00 just ahead of EADV 2025—for the Health Policy Influencers Forum.

This half-day event will feature interactive workshops on engaging with policymakers, strategy sessions to align national and European advocacy efforts, and opportunities to help shape GlobalSkin-Europe’s future direction. A group dinner will follow the Forum. Travel bursaries of up to EUR 800 are available and will be paid post-event. Apply for a bursary here by June 26, 2025. RSVP to the event by clicking below.

GlobalSkin is pleased to invite you to the Skin Matters Reception taking place during the EADV Congress on September 17 (17:30 – 19:30) at Hife Corner, Rue Guynemer 15, Issy-les-Moulineaux, 92130, France.

This informal gathering will offer an opportunity to learn more about the work GlobalSkin is undertaking to raise awareness and improve prioritization of dermatological diseases at the global level. Light canapés and beverages will be served. We encourage you to register in advance to confirm your attendance. RSVP by September 1, 2025.

GlobalSkin CEO Jennifer Austin and Operations Director Allison FitzGerald attended the June 10-12 Patient Engagement Open Forum (PEOF), co-hosted by Patient-Focused Medicines Development (PFMD), EUPATI, and European Patients Forum.

This event is a global gathering bringing together an unparalleled network of multicultural and multidisciplinary visionaries to shape the future of Patient Engagement (PE). The dynamic community meets during virtual and face-to-face sessions to collaborate, foster innovation, and co-create groundbreaking solutions to tackle the status quo and shape a strategy to bring systematic PE to life. Allison is on the planning committee for this event and Jennifer has recently joined the Board of PFMD.