Dear GlobalSkin Members & Stakeholders,
I can’t believe that 2024 is already coming to a close and I am truly astonished by how much we have accomplished together this year. GlobalSkin has continued to grow with our membership closing out the year with 293 members, in 71 countries, representing 59 disease areas. Our vision of creating a world where people with dermatological conditions are healthy and fulfilled, has continued to advance through our strategic objectives.
As GlobalSkin works to ELEVATE its member organizations in the important work they undertake to help their dermatology patient communities, the 2025 application intake period is now open for the GlobalSkin Member Impact Fund for the fifth consecutive year! Submissions will be accepted from November 25 to December 13, 2024. I’m proud to share that myself and nine other GlobalSkin Members of the 2024 cohort of the EUPATI Patient Expert Training Program graduated in October. The 2025 Patient Expert Scholarship program accepted 15 new patient leaders, from 12 countries, representing nine distinct disease areas. Congratulations to all the recipients in the 2025 Cohort! I wish you all the very best on your educational journey – it’s worth it! And the GlobalSkin Conference 2025 will take place in Prague in April – registration is open – I look forward to seeing you there!
We have made great strides to CHAMPION the patient voice through our work on the campaign for an “all skin diseases” resolution at the 2025 World Health Assembly. This initiative brings together patient advocates, healthcare professionals, WHO Member States, and policy experts to pass a WHA resolution that will have a profound impact on all those affected by skin diseases and improve global public health. We are calling for a global action plan to tackle the burden of all skin diseases, currently being exacerbated by social and economic factors, emerging infectious diseases, climate change and their impact on mental health. More details in the new year about how Members and the wider dermatology community can also support the resolution. GlobalSkin has also been working non-stop creating awareness about our community that is so deeply affected by dermatological diseases at conferences around the globe including the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology (EADV) Congress, the World Congress on Rare Skin Diseases and the International Society of Atopic Dermatitis (ISAD), just to name a few.
Our aim to UNITE our member communities and our partners through our work with the World Skin Health Coalition, the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and the EADV has been changing the way the world perceives dermatological conditions. This was never more evident than when we launched the new Patient-Reported Impact of Dermatological Diseases (PRIDD) measure for in-clinic and research use at the EADV Congress in Amsterdam in September 2024. The new PRIDD measure is the first fully validated dermatology impact measure applicable to all skin conditions. And it is the first patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) in dermatology that was developed and validated in partnership with patients. I invite you to learn more at pridd.org and to download the app on your mobile device today! We will be sharing more details in the coming months about our efforts to encourage adoption of the PRIDD measure and how you can help.
I would like to thank all of YOU for your engagement, participation, and support in 2024. On behalf of the GlobalSkin Board and staff, I wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to our collective success in 2025!
Gratefully,
Marc Yale
GlobalSkin Board President
