GlobalSkin and the ILDS co-host a side-event during the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva

On May 29th, 2024, GlobalSkin and the ILDS co-hosted a side-event during the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, "Skin Diseases as a Global Health Priority - NO UHC without Skin Health". The event was supported by the World Skin Health Coalition and Anesvad Foundation. The aim of the event was to advocate for higher prioritization of skin diseases by national Ministries of Health which aligns with our goal of achieving an all-skin diseases resolution at the WHA in 2025.

Marc Yale, GlobalSkin Board President and Dr. Claire Fuller, ILDS Board Member and Chair of the International Foundation for Dermatology welcomed approximately 80 attendees from across the world, including representatives from member states, WHO departments, health care professionals, patient advocates, members of civil society and Geneva-based health organizations.   
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Speakers included the Minster of Health from Panama, and representatives from Cote d’Ivoire and Nepal and the World Health Organization (WHO).  There were presentations on the Burden of Skin Disease from the patient perspective and from the scientific perspective by Jennifer Austin, CEO of GlobalSkin and Dr. Luca Borradori, ILDS respectively.
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But the attendees heard the most powerful presentations from patient advocates Antoine Gliksohn, Global Albinism Alliance; Toni Roberts, DEBRA South Africa; and Josef De Guzman, Psoriasis Philippines.  We are so very grateful to our Members Marc, Antoine, Toni and Josef for sharing their personal experiences and those of their patient networks.  

This marks another incredibly powerful and important collaboration between GlobalSkin and the ILDS. Together, we are bringing awareness of skin conditions to the highest policy tables.  We are very proud of our ongoing collaborations to support skin patients.
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During the World Health Assembly, the GlobalSkin Team also attended several other meetings and important side-events hosted by civil society. IFPA hosted an event marking the 10th anniversary of the Psoriasis Resolution being passed at the WHA. Rare Diseases International hosted an event geared towards their activities in the rare disease space including seeking a WHA resolution to improve the visibility of Persons Living with a Rare Disease. IAPO and the Synergist hosted an event geared towards leveraging patient organizations as partners in delivering universal health coverage. GlobalSkin also attended events hosted by key departments of the WHO including the Non-Communicable Diseases and met with stakeholders like the NCD Alliance and an event related to a resolution on Social Participation. This resolution really speaks to this being a golden era for patient advocates in global health policy making.