In rural Ghana, when local health centers encounter a skin condition they cannot identify, they often turn to Patrick Davies. He is not a doctor, but his years of experience have made him the go-to expert. As the head of the Gate Foundation in Ankaful, near Cape Coast, he works to support people suffering from neglected tropical skin diseases like leprosy and Buruli ulcer. “They call me because there are no trained doctors or diagnostic tools,” he told EL PAÍS in a video interview. “They rely on what I’ve learned over the years.”
Davies’ story highlights a global blind spot in healthcare: the neglect of skin diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), skin conditions affect one in three people at some point in their lives and rank as the seventh leading cause of disability worldwide. Yet until now, they have rarely been treated as a serious public health issue.
That changed last week. With strong support from countries in the Global South and organizations like the International Alliance of Dermatology Patient Organizations and Spain’s Anesvad Foundation, Ivory Coast led the charge to pass a resolution at the World Health Assembly. For the first time, the global health body formally recognized skin diseases as a major global health concern.
The resolution, approved unanimously, urges all nations to include skin health in their universal health coverage plans. It calls for better training for primary care providers and improved access to diagnosis and treatment, especially in rural and low-income areas. While implementation still depends on national health systems, experts agree that this is a critical first step toward shifting how the world sees and treats skin conditions.
“This resolution is very important because skin diseases put a heavy strain on health systems, but they’re often underestimated,” said Jennifer Austin, director of GlobalSkin. Citing data from the University of Washington’s 2024 Global Burden of Disease Study published in The Lancet, she noted that there are 4.69 billion new cases of skin disease every year, making it one of the top ten reasons people seek medical care. “In sub-Saharan Africa, there’s often less than one dermatologist per million people,” she added.
For Antonie Gliksohn, director of the Global Alliance Against Albinism, the resolution sends a powerful message. “Skin diseases are not just cosmetic,” he said. “They affect physical and mental health.” As someone with albinism, Gliksohn knows firsthand the stigma and misunderstanding that come with skin disorders. “People are often told, ‘It’s just skin, it’s not serious.’ But it can affect your entire life.”
That reality is evident in the stories from places like Davies’ community in Ghana. He recalled a 52-year-old woman with a serious skin condition who had to travel eight hours to a hospital. Though she was diagnosed, there was no funding to continue her treatment back home. “She died because we couldn’t help her,” Davies said. “That happens far too often.”
Toni Roberts, director of DEBRA South Africa, shared similar concerns. Her organization supports people with epidermolysis bullosa, a rare disease that makes skin and internal tissues fragile. “In South Africa, most babies born with this condition don’t survive,” she said. “There’s no capacity to care for them. And in many African countries, we don’t even know how many patients there are.”
The WHO resolution also addresses this inequality. In Malawi, for example, there are only three dermatologists for a population of over 20 million, according to Gliksohn. Davies added: “People don’t go to hospitals with skin problems because they know they won’t be treated properly. So they call me. That says everything.”
Beyond access to care, the resolution also acknowledges the broader impact of skin diseases — socially, psychologically, and economically. In many cultures, skin conditions can carry a stigma. In some places, vitiligo can affect a woman’s ability to marry. In others, people with leprosy or albinism face exclusion and discrimination.
“With stigma, people lose their place in society,” said Iñigo Lasa, director of the Anesvad Foundation. “They can’t find work, and life becomes unbearable.” Davies echoed that sentiment: “Sometimes healthcare workers won’t even touch a patient with a skin disease because they think it’s contagious. That hurts more than the disease itself.”
While the resolution is a breakthrough, experts stress that real progress depends on what happens next. “If patients don’t benefit, what’s the point?” said Dr. Kingsley Asiedu, who leads neglected tropical disease work at the WHO. “We need governments to turn this into policies and action.”
Some solutions are straightforward. “About 80% of skin disease cases fall under just ten common diagnoses,” said Claire Fuller, president of the International League of Dermatological Societies. “If we train health workers in those, we can help most patients.”
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