When Patrick Davies receives a call from a local health center in rural Ghana, he knows what to expect: a patient suffering from a skin condition that the medical staff cannot diagnose. Though not a doctor or nurse, Davies leads the Gate Foundation, a small organization in Ankaful (Cape Coast, Ghana), focused on treating neglected tropical skin diseases, including leprosy and Buruli ulcer. These diseases, if left untreated, can cause severe disability.
“They call me because there’s no one else,” Davies says via video call. “There are no trained doctors or diagnostic resources, so they rely on my experience.”
Davies’ experience highlights a broader issue: the global neglect of skin health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), skin diseases affect one-third of the world’s population and are the seventh leading cause of disability. Despite this, skin conditions have long been overlooked by healthcare systems worldwide.
In a significant step forward, last week Ivory Coast, supported by countries from the Global South and institutions like the International Alliance of Dermatology Patient Organizations and Spain’s Anesvad Foundation, succeeded in persuading the World Health Assembly to recognize skin diseases as a global health problem. This marks the first time skin conditions have been officially acknowledged as such by the WHO.
The unanimously approved resolution urges countries to include skin health in their universal healthcare strategies, train primary care teams, and improve access to treatments and diagnostics, particularly in rural and underserved areas. While national health systems must now implement policies to reflect this resolution, experts believe it opens a new path for skin diseases to be recognized as a “global public health priority” rather than just cosmetic concerns.
A Growing Crisis
Jennifer Austin, director of GlobalSkin, emphasizes the importance of the resolution. “Skin diseases place a huge burden on healthcare systems, yet they often go undetected because the numbers are underestimated,” she explains.
Austin points to alarming statistics: “There are 4.69 billion new cases of skin diseases each year, and it’s one of the top 10 reasons people seek healthcare.” Despite this, access to dermatological care remains limited. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are fewer than one dermatologist per million people.
Antonie Gliksohn, an albino activist and executive director of the Global Alliance Against Albinism, argues that the resolution sends a clear message: dermatological conditions must be treated as serious health issues, not just cosmetic concerns.
“Skin diseases are among the leading causes of disability,” says Gliksohn. “They affect your daily life, work, and even relationships. But people have been told for too long that it’s ‘just skin,’ and not a big deal.”
Inequities in Care
Beyond physical pain, skin diseases can have devastating social and economic consequences. For example, untreated conditions like leprosy and albinism can lead to discrimination and social exclusion, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Davies recalls a heartbreaking case: a 52-year-old woman from a rural Ghanaian community who was suffering from advanced skin symptoms but could not receive a diagnosis. “I sent her to a hospital eight hours away, but we didn’t have the money for treatment,” he says. “She died because of that.”
Similarly, Toni Roberts, founder of DEBRA South Africa, highlights the situation for babies born with epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin condition. “In South Africa, most babies with this condition don’t survive due to a lack of training and care,” she explains. “And across the continent, we don’t even know how many cases exist.”
The resolution also addresses the severe inequities in access to care. For instance, in Malawi, there are only three dermatologists for a population of over 20 million people, Gliksohn notes.
A Call for Action
The WHO resolution emphasizes the need to address both medical and social aspects of skin diseases. In some countries, conditions like vitiligo can destroy a woman’s prospects for marriage, while in others, people with albinism or leprosy face social stigma and discrimination.
Iñigo Lasa, director of the Anesvad Foundation, points out the profound impact of stigma. “With stigma, you lose your social role and often your ability to find work. Your life becomes a struggle.”
Davies adds, “In my community, people with skin conditions don’t go to the hospital. They know they won’t be treated properly, so they turn to me instead. That says everything about the system.”
While the resolution is a significant step, experts agree that its success hinges on implementation. “The resolution is great, but if patients don’t benefit, what’s the point?” asks Kingsley Asiedu, head of neglected tropical diseases at the WHO. “We need to work with governments to turn this approval into concrete national policies.”
Next Steps
Some measures could be implemented relatively easily, such as training healthcare workers to diagnose and treat the 10 most common skin diseases, which account for 80% of cases. Claire Fuller, president of the International League of Dermatological Societies, says this would make a significant impact.
Gliksohn also calls for more specific actions, like adding sunscreen to the list of essential medicines for patients with albinism.
“The real impact of this resolution will be felt in the long term,” Gliksohn cautions. “It will take time to develop national policies and train healthcare personnel. But for the first time, millions of people worldwide are hearing that skin diseases are not just cosmetic—they are serious physical and mental health issues that can profoundly affect daily life.”
The resolution, though a long-awaited victory, is just the beginning. Experts stress that continued efforts are necessary to ensure that skin diseases are treated with the seriousness they deserve.
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