Dear GlobalSkin Members,
I am inspired and energized after attending the World Health Assembly (WHA) side event "Skin Diseases as a Global Public Health Priority - NO UHC without Skin Health," hosted by GlobalSkin and the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) last month in Geneva. The event aimed to build awareness about the burden, impact, and cost of skin diseases on both individuals and public health systems, with the goal of advocating for greater prioritization of skin diseases on the global policy agenda. The event was attended by over 80 individuals from around the globe including three representatives from World Health Organization (WHO) member states! I’m pleased to share that at this meeting, patient-perspective was at the forefront as five patients shared their personal stories about living with dermatological conditions and diseases. As we work toward a WHO resolution prioritizing “Skin Diseases as a Global Public Health Priority” please help GlobalSkin to connect with your Member States to support this draft resolution. It needs to be introduced to the WHO Secretariat for consideration to be on the agenda of the WHO Executive Board meeting that will take place in January 2025. If it is accepted by the Executive Board of the WHO, the resolution will move for ratification by all Member States at WHA 78 next year in Geneva. This resolution will change the way the world sees skin diseases and how they affect us all! With your help, we can make it a reality.
I am appreciative to all of you who helped us do something incredible by supporting the World Skin Health Coalition’s (WSHC) awareness campaign, “Not Just My Skin” that ended in March to raise global awareness about the significant impact of skin diseases and conditions. Many of you signed the open letter urging health policy leaders worldwide to prioritize these critical issues. I am happy to share that this campaign was a resounding success! In just six weeks, we made some massive achievements together:
- The campaign reached over five million people
- Campaign materials featuring data and stories of real people living with skin conditions
- The campaign was viewed over 17.8 million times
- Over 6,800 people in 130 countries across six WHO regions signed the open letter urging health policy leaders to act
Together, we are building a future where skin conditions and diseases are no longer minimized!
I was delighted to see everyone who attended the 2024 GlobalSkin Annual General Meeting (AGM) that took place online on June 19. This important meeting illustrated GlobalSkin’s commitment to our members as we wouldn’t exist without all of you! It was also a momentous occasion as GlobalSkin celebrated its ninth anniversary on June 12. Only nine years ago a group of patient organizations came together having identified a gap in connectivity in dermatology. Patient organizations existed but were not working together with a united voice. Since our founding in 2015, GlobalSkin has become a strong global voice for change in skin disease awareness and the need for better access to care and treatment for our patient communities!
Lastly, I would like to thank all those who participated in the recent GlobalSkin board election. We had amazing participation with nine eligible candidates applying to serve on the Board. It was incredible and encouraging to see so many member representatives take an interest in playing a leadership role in our organization. It’s my pleasure to congratulate Guillermo Gutierrez, Ritu Jain and Toni Roberts who will serve on GlobalSkin’s Board of Directors for the next three years. I look forward to working with you all!
Gratefully,
Marc Yale
GlobalSkin Board President
