Dear ILDS Members, friends and colleagues,

The year is moving at a rapid pace and the ILDS continues to advocate and promote Dermatology to the global community.

In 2024, our meetings and collaborations have already yielded significant accomplishments, as you'll discover in this newsletter. I'm eager to see what more we can achieve together with our Members, partners, and stakeholders.

Thank you to those who provided availability for the ILDS Annual General Meeting (AGM). It will be held online on 15 July 2024 and an ILDS Members Forum will be held immediately afterwards to provide networking opportunities, and to share and discuss current issues with your peers from around the world. I look forward to meeting you online in July.

Please do stay connected with us - it is only through our combined commitment to implement, innovate, and inspire, that we can achieve our joint goal: #SkinHealthfortheWorld.

With warm personal greetings, 

Henry

Welcome to new ILDS staff members - Jennifer Kilmer and Undraa Bayasgalan. Jennifer (left) is our Global Skin Health Project Coordinator supporting the work of the new ILDS Grand Challenges of Global Skin Health Committee. Undraa (right) joins us as Programme Coordinator supporting the Programmes Manager with projects such as GLODERM, GPEC and IACS. Find out more about Jennifer, Undraa and the ILDS staff here.

AAD annual meeting - In March, some of the ILDS Board Members and Secretariat attended the American Academy of Dermatology's annual meeting in San Diego. Attended by over 19,000 delegates, the event was a huge success and we offer our sincere congratulations to the AAD for such a fantastic meeting. See some of the highlights here.

Take part in World Skin Health Day (WSHD) on 8 July to help raise awareness about the wide-ranging impact of skin disease, as well as supporting people needing treatment in your local communities. WSHD was established in 2013 by the ILDS and the International Society of Dermatology (ISD), and shines a spotlight on skin health, under the banner 'Skin Health for All'. Find out more about WSHD and how you can get involved here.

A Heartfelt Thank You to ILDS Members - for your unwavering commitment to advancing global skin health and supporting the initiatives we undertake. We deeply appreciate your readiness and responsiveness in participating in our recent surveys. Your commitment is crucial in helping us advance our shared mission.

PLEASE STAY ALERT - Scam emails: We continue to receive notifications of scam emails reporting to be from Prof Henry W Lim and other ILDS Board Members asking for financial help or to call them. We will never contact you in this way and we are reporting all incidents but please do stay alert. If you are unsure of the authenticity of an email, please contact info@ilds.org.

WCD2027 Agreement signed in San Diego by Prof Henry W. Lim (ILDS President), Prof Jorge O'Campo-Candiani (WCD2027 President) and Maria Criscuolo (Chairwoman and Founder, Triumph International Group), laying the foundation for collaboration on the next World Congress of Dermatology in Guadalajara, Mexico.

WCD2027 Scientific Programme Committee held their initial meeting last week on 26 April in London, UK. Chaired by ILDS Immediate Past President, Prof Lars French, the Committee began planning the programme and reviewing the nominations for Chairs submitted by ILDS Members. Watch the story here.

WCD2031 bids now open - We are delighted to have launched the bidding process for WCD2031. All eligible ILDS Member Societies have been contacted and further information and bidding guidelines are available on the dedicated WCD2031 webpage. 

The IFD Team met in Geneva to develop the 2024 – 2027 IFD Strategy. The IFD was created in 1987 by the ILDS to improve skin health in low-resource areas around the globe. The IFD is led by Claire Fuller (Chair) and Esther Freeman (Vice Chair). The meeting was attended by the ILDS IFD Committee Members and Secretariat. Find out more here.

The CSH Journal continues to share valuable educational knowledge to its readers, the 19(2) issue is now available to read in Portuguese, French, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese. Thanks to our dedicated volunteer translation reviewers: Luísa Polo Silveira, Doriane Sabushiimike, Olivier Chosidow, Cristina Galvan, Isabel Casas, and Tee Siah for their hard work, time and effort in reviewing translations to share valuable educational knowledge around the world. Read current and past issues here or download the CSH Journal App on Android and iOS

ILDS Annual Meetings with WHO Collaborators at WHO-HQ, Geneva, Switzerland - On 25 & 26 March, the ILDS visited the WHO HQ in Geneva, Switzerland, for strategic discussions with key WHO collaborators. It remains a privilege to advance our partnership across diverse project areas, including Neglected Tropical Diseases, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), Essential Medicines, Occupational Health, Non-communicable Diseases, Ageing and Health, and Emerging Infections. Watch the highlights here.

On the WHO's World Health Day 2024, we joined dermatologists from across the globe to champion 'Skin Health for the World', emphasising its vital role on #WorldHealthDay and every day. Watch our #SkinHealth4theWorld video and hear from the ILDS President on why skin health is such an integral part of global health in our latest article.

New GLODERM Membership programme launched - open to any dermatologist, dermatology trainee, or primary care provider/qualified health worker with a special focus on dermatology. Membership is granted after completion and receipt of a membership application and annual dues as applicable. Find out more here.

GLODERM Educational Webinar - with a focus on Dermatopathology, the latest GLODERM Educational Webinar was held on 25 April 2024. Dr AMANI UWAJENI Alice presented a number of patient case studies followed by a Q&A session. View the webinar here.   

The GLODERM Pre-AAD Scientific Meeting 2024 was held in San Diego, USA on 7 March. Attended by 147 delegates both in person and online from 36 countries, we heard from some inspiring speakers invoking lots of valuable discussions on how to further our commitment to support skin health globally. Sessions from this meeting were recorded and will be available here soon. Step inside the meeting here.

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the first GLODERM x CeraVe Access Grants!  US$100,000 has been awarded to five remarkable dermatologist changemakers, each spearheading projects to enhance access to dermatological care in under-served communities worldwide. Find out more here.