Addressing the Need For Global Public Health Priority of Skin Diseases
Côte d’ Ivoire, together with Nigeria, Togo, Micronesia, China, Ethiopia and Colombia is leading an initiative to place skin diseases firmly on the global public health agenda and have proposed a WHA Resolution on “Skin diseases as a global public health priority ”.
GlobalSkin has joined many other international organizations to call for the adoption of this resolution which represents an overdue recognition of the immense burden that skin diseases place on individuals, communities, and health systems worldwide.
Skin diseases affect individuals of all ages and are one of the most common reasons for seeking medical help, impacting an estimated 4.69 million people globally each year. Yet, they remain disproportionately neglected in national and global health priorities. The consequences extend beyond physical suffering, with social stigma, mental health impacts, and lost productivity exacerbating inequalities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
What will a WHA Resolution on Skin Diseases Achieve?
The Skin Diseases Resolution is focused on all skin diseases including allergies, inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, genetic diseases, vascular diseases, cancers, infections (viral, bacterial and fungal) and rare autoinflammatory diseases. It prioritizes the perspective of patients and their caregivers in all aspects of planning and implementation.
Key aspects of the Resolution:
- Global Action Plan to establish a framework for addressing skin diseases globally, focusing on prevention, early detection, effective treatment, and long-term care, with specific targets.
- Calls for dedicated health investment to expand expertise through training, particularly among primary health care workers, enabling timely diagnosis and effective support for those living with skin diseases.
- Supports expansion of research, surveillance and data collection to provide innovative diagnostic tools and new treatments.
- Promotes equitable access to cost effective, affordable and high-quality treatment
- Supports integrated services for skin diseases into current disability, rehabilitation and mental health policies
WHO 156th Executive Board – Skin Disease As a global health priority
The 156th Executive Board meeting of the World Health Organization was held from February 3-11, 2025 in Geneva. Deliberations on skin diseases took place on February 5 & 7, highlighting the growing recognition of skin diseases as a global health priority.
On February 10, 2025 the 156th WHO Executive Board recommended the WHA Skin Diseases Resolution proceed for adoption at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025.
Read about the proceedings and highlights from the meeting below.
How To Get Involved!
Resources have been developed to support civil society in effectively advocating for the adoption of the draft Resolution on Skin Diseases at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2025.
By targeting WHA 2025, this campaign seeks to galvanize international support for a resolution that would drive investment in resources, research, and healthcare interventions.
The core campaign objective is to raise awareness about this WHA Resolution and garner support from Members States to advance this important cause.
By working together, we can ensure the adoption of the Skin Diseases Resolution and prioritize skin health for all.
Skin diseases affect individuals of all ages and are one of the most common reasons for seeking medical help, impacting an estimated 4.69 million people globally each year. Yet, they remain disproportionately neglected in national and global health priorities. The consequences extend beyond physical suffering, with social stigma, mental health impacts, and lost productivity exacerbating inequalities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Call To Action
Write to your country’s Minister of Health and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, urging them to co-sponsor and support the Resolution.
Access the WHO Directory here to find your UN representative.
Use your social media platforms to raise awareness and share stories about the impact of skin diseases.
Available Resources
*Instructions: To customize your own social media cards you will need to create a Canva account and upload your logo to the image. Customized text can also be added to the cards. Need help? Watch a quick tutorial here.
- Send letters explaining the impact of skin diseases and the importance of the WHA Resolution in your country.
- Provide country-specific data to emphasize local relevance.
- Ask for support and co-sponsorship of the Resolution
- Ask for a meeting with the Minster to discuss your local experiences.
- Use hashtags such as #SkinDiseasesResolution, #SkinHealthForAll, and #GlobalHealth.
- Share infographics and videos with key statistics and patient stories supporting your local circumstances.
- Share the social media cards and messages provided above
- Adapt the social cards into your own language and add your country context
- Share testimonials from patients and caregivers in your country to humanize the burden of skin diseases.
- Raise awareness about your condition in your country, through the media, using your network and call attention to the issues with the call to action of getting Health Minister to support the WHA Resolution.
- Ask your patient community to participate and spread the word!
For more information, please contact info@skinhealthcoalition.org
WHA Resolution Working Group
