IFPA approach of WHO for Psoriasis recognition

The IFPA World Psoriasis Day global political action to urge the World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize psoriasis as a serious disease on a central level has now begun.

On World Psoriasis Day, Oct 29, IFPA delivered an inclusive packet of information about psoriasis to the World Health Organization (WHO) Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health Cluster at WHO in Geneva, Switzerland.

The packet included the IFPA report entitled "Psoriasis is a Serious Disease Deserving Global Attention," written by Kathleen Gallant, Chairman of the WHO Strategic Planning Committee.  The IFPA strategy seeks to inform and request the World Health Organization recognize that psoriasis is a serious chronic, noncommunicable, autoimmune disease that affects over 125 million people of all ages and races, and carries severe physical, mental and socioeconomic burdens, including the elevated risk for serious co-morbid conditions. 
To support this claim, IFPA included scientific reports on psoriasis that covered the entire scope of the disease: epidemiology, physical/psychosocial/socioeconomic impacts, and the relationship with comorbid conditions.

IFPA is greatly honoured to relate that the Presidents of the International League of Dermatological Societies, ILDS and the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, EADV gave supporting statements for the WHO initiative and for World Psoriasis Day. 

In addition, the packet also included a case statement describing the organization of IFPA, as well as IFPA member reports and summaries of IFPAs main programs, including World Psoriasis Day concept and activities, and the World Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Conferences.
Also presented to WHO was an introductory DVD trailer of the new IFPA project Under the Spotlight (UTS), with an invitation to "meet people living with psoriasis", revealing the real life impact of psoriasis over time, by viewing the short videos on the UTS website.

WHO acknowledgement of psoriasis and World Psoriasis Day will help psoriasis patients to recognize their own disease and seek treatment, will enable the public to realize psoriasis is not contagious and halt discriminating behavior, and will facilitate the medical community to diagnose and effectively treat the disease. In small but effective steps, this outcome will help lift the heavy burden of psoriasis worldwide and allow for a better quality of life. 

It is our goal that IFPA and WHO can partner together and reach out to the 125 million people struggling with psoriasis worldwide, assisting them to live a better quality of life and furthering IFPAs vision of a world without human suffering from psoriasis. 

For more information, please see Pdf-files below.

 1. IFPAs letter to WHO. (Scanned copy, name removed)

2. Supportive letter by  Prof. Saurat, President of ILDS (Scanned copy, name removed)

3. Supportive letter by  Prof. Katsambas, President of EADV (Scanned copy, name removed)

4. The IFPA Report: Psoriasis is a serious disease deserving global attention

5. The IFPA Description and activities