Dear ILDS Members, friends and colleagues,

The third quarter of 2024 has been remarkably positive with the news that, following ILDS Member feedback during the World Skin Summit in Lima, Peru in 2022, the ILDS and IFD have committed US$1million to advance dermatology training for the Pacific Island Nations. The funding will support the Pacific Dermatology Training Centre in Fiji, increasing access to care and improved treatment for individuals living with skin diseases throughout the region. We thank all ILDS Members for their ongoing support of the ILDS - outcomes such as the PDTC are only possible because of their commitment to the ILDS and our joint mission to improve skin health for the world.

Last week, the ILDS Board of Directors attended a very successful ILDS Board Meeting in London where all of our Committees reported on the amazing progress of our projects and programmes, many of which you will read about in this edition. A meeting of the WCD2027 Scientific Programme Committee, led by Prof Lars French (SPC Chair) and Prof Manabu Fujimoto (Vice-Chair) was also held in London last week and we look forward to sharing more news of the final WCD2027 programme with you in due course. I can assure you, it is one not to be missed!

As the end of the year approaches, we look forward to your continued support and collaborative efforts (especially through our important surveys and studies mentioned in this edition) and I do hope to see many of you at upcoming events.

With warm personal greetings,

Henry

Get to know: International Foundation of Dermatology

The International Foundation for Dermatology (IFD) was created in 1987 by the ILDS to improve skin health in areas of low resource. It supports projects all over the world including Africa, Asia Pacific and South America.

Watch this video to discover the IFD and why it is critical to helping ILDS achieve its goal of ‘Skin Health for the World’ through first-hand insights from IFD Chair, Dr Claire Fuller and Vice-Chair, Dr Esther Freeman, as well as some of ILDS current and past Board Members.

Gain further insight into the work of the ILDS through our suite of interviews, available on YouTube:

Updates from the ILDS Secretariat

The ILDS is delighted to be part of a ground-breaking new global study in collaboration with L'Oréal Dermatologic Beauty, led by Dr Esther Freeman (IFD Vice Chair). The Global Access to Skin Health Observatory (Skin Observatory) Study aims to address the lack of comprehensive global data on the distribution of dermatologists and barriers to dermatologic care across all 194 WHO member state countries. While access to dermatologic care has been studied in some countries or regions, there remains no consistent worldwide data. Find out more.

We are looking forward to opening the registration for ILDS Members to attend the 4th World Skin Summit (WSS) in Cape Town South Africa from 24-25 October 2025. The WSS brings the leaders of our Member and Partner organisations together to discuss the challenges they face and provides an opportunity to share experiences and develop strategies to improve skin health at local, national, regional and global levels. Emails will be sent as soon as registration opens and updates will also be available on our dedicated webpage.

To mark Fungal Disease Awareness Week 2024 in September, the ILDS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) jointly hosted two webinars bringing together international experts to deep dive into crucial topics on fungal diseases. The webinars, entitled 'Focusing on Emerging and Complex Dermatophytes' and 'Neglected Tropical Diseases: Don’t Forget about Fungi!' included lectures with key information from a global perspective, panel discussions, and a Q&A session! The webinars are now available to watch on the YouTube.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! This survey aims to gather comprehensive insights into the collaborations and connections between ILDS Member Societies and Patients’ Organisations (POs). Your participation in key in helping us understand how important these relationships are, and how our global community is impacting patients directly. All ILDS Members will have received their personal link to the survey - if you need a reminder, please contact info@ilds.org.

Urgent Call to Action: Protect Those Most Vulnerable to Skin Cancer! The ILDS, in partnership with the co-hosts of the Multi-Stakeholder Summit on Occupational and Non-Occupational Skin Cancer and other key organisations, is calling for urgent action to address the skin cancer epidemic affecting persons with albinism and outdoor workers. Learn more about these vital calls to action here. Together, we can raise awareness, spread the word, and protect those at risk!

ILDS Member Initiatives Directory 2024

The ILDS Member Initiatives Directory 2024 entitled "Advocating for Skin Health on a Global Scale" was launched at the end of August.

We were delighted to receive 44 Articles from ILDS Members reporting on the creative and informative initiatives and updates undertaken over the past year, all of which are proof of the influential and life-changing work being undertaken by ILDS Members globally every single day. Click to view.

The Directory will now be an annual publication to allow ILDS Members to provide yearly updates on their work and promote the sharing the inspirational projects and programmes around the world. Do consider submitting an article in 2025!!

World Congress of Dermatology

We are delighted to have received two bids to host the World Congress of Dermatology in 2031 so far. The two Candidate Cities are Dubai (submitted by the Emirates Dermatology Society) and Madrid (submitted by the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV)). The bidding process is still open to ILDS Member Societies only - more information and guidelines are available on our dedicated WCD2031 bidding page.

Plans for the World Congress of Dermatology in Guadalajara, Mexico in June 2027 are making excellent progress! If you are interested in holding a sister society meeting or would like to exhibit, please get in touch soon to avoid disappointment. Sign up the WCD2027 newsletter to be the first to hear the latest news and updates!

Chaired by ILDS Immediate Past President, Prof Lars French, the WCD2027 Scientific Programme Committee met in London last week to finalise the programme for the World Congress of Dermatology in 2027 being held in Guadalajara, Mexico. Email notifications to invited keynotes, Chairs and Co-Chairs will commence early 2025.

Welcome to our new Members

We are delighted to welcome the following societies to our unique community!

Kurdistan Society of Dermatologists

Affiliated Society Member

The Egyptian Society for Women's Health (VENUS)

Affiliated Society Member

Help us build our community!

The ILDS now represents an incredible 217 Member organisations across 103 countries. Know a dermatological member society who is not yet an ILDS Member and is interested in joining our community? Please share the following link with them: www.ilds.org/membership or ask them to contact membership@ilds.org for more information.

Spotlight: ILDS/IFD funds advancement of dermatology training for Pacific Island Nations

The ILDS and IFD have committed US$1 million to advance dermatology training for the Pacific Island Nations. The funds will go to Pacific Dermatology Limited, which supports the Pacific Dermatology Training Centre (PDTC) at Tamavua Twomey Hospital in Suva, increasing access to care and improved treatment for individuals living with skin diseases throughout the region, which includes Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa and other Pacific Island Nations. ILDS Treasurer, Dr Stephen Shumack joined a ceremony to mark this important initiative at the PDTC on 12 September 2024. Find out more.

International Foundation of Dermatology

This month, the ILDS and IFD attended the 2024 NNN Conference in Kuala Lumpur to highlight the critical role of skin health in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The conference theme of “Collaboration for Change: Fostering Global Equity and Strengthening Community Engagement” aligns closely with ILDS’s mission of promoting health equity, particularly for underserved populations affected by skin health issues. Hear more about the event from Dr Claire Fuller (IFD Chair).

The 2025 DermLink Grants Programme has extended its deadline for applications! DermLink is an annual grants programme that provides US$3-5,000 grant funding support for ILDS Members to undertake initiatives that help patients with skin disease in underserved parts of the world. The new deadline for applications is Friday 1 November 2024. Find out more.

The ILDS DermImpact Grants Programme is still accepting applications. The DermImpact Grants Programme is a newly launched grants programme for 2025 and will support three projects with the funds of $20,000 per project. These projects will be expected to have a running cycle of 2 years, and we will provide $10,000 per year. Deadline: Friday 1 November 2024. Find out more.

The translations of the first issue of 2024 Community Skin Health Journal are now available to read! In addition to French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese, this year, the journal has been also translated into Arabic. Read the translated edition or access via the CSH App.

Dr Nuru Emmanuel Malema is the only dermatology specialist serving a population of over 3 million people in the Tabora region of Tanzania. After facing early challenges in diagnosing skin conditions, Dr. Malema pursued advanced training at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre (RDTC) in Moshi, Tanzania, and now treats over 2,700 patients annually. Read more about Dr Malema's inspirational story.

Our partnership with the WHO

ILDS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arpita Bhose and some of the ILDS Secretariat team, as well as CSH Editor, Michele Murdoch, and Past ILDS Director, Roderick J. Hay had the pleasure of meeting with Medical Officer at World Health Organization (WHO), Kingsley Asiedu and WHO Consultant, Skin NTDs Team, Adeola Bamisaiye. We had interesting and insightful discussions around current ILDS initiatives and ongoing collaborative project areas. Find out more.

Boost your knowledge in migrant and refugee health with two free online courses on OpenWHO, developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the IFD Migrant Health Working Group and Dr Valeska Padovese. The first course, Global Competency Standards for the Provision of Health Services to Refugees and Migrants, covers key health challenges, global standards, and practical tools to address health inequities. The second course, Skin and Migration, focuses on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), their impact on migrants, and the connection between migration and NTD transmission. You’ll receive a certificate to enhance your expertise in this critical field upon completion.

News from our partner - GLODERM

GLODERM is excited to announce the launch of their first podcast series titled "Stories of Our Skin". This unique podcast explores the social, environmental and cultural impact of global health issues in dermatology, where they will be sharing expert insights and real stories from individuals around the globe.

In the first season, the episodes that will be released are under the topics of AI in Dermatology, Climate Change and Skin Health, and Stigma in Skin Disease. Stories of Our Skin is available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Click for more information.

This podcast was made possible due to the generous support of CeraVe Care for All.

Mark your calendars for 29 October 2024 (15:00 to 16:00 UTC) and get ready to explore and expand your knowledge of skin NTDs with Prof Wende Enbiale and Dr Olufolakemi Cole! This webinar will shine a light on this fascinating topic, followed by a live Q&A session where you will have the opportunity to ask the hosts your burning questions. Register for free.

Miss the EADV Tropical Dermatology Task Force & GLODERM Hybrid Scientific Symposium? You can now watch back the full recording of the symposium online to catch up on each of the inspiring and informative presentations. The meeting took place at the at the EADV Congress in Amsterdam on 26 September 2024 and was centred around the theme "Dermatology without Borders.". It was attended by 180 participants, with 65 attending in person and 115 joining online. Available to watch now.

ILDS Awards

The deadline for the Young Dermatologist International Achievement (YDIA) Awards 2025 has now passed and all nominations have been reviewed by the Awards Committee and ILDS Board. Keep an eye out for news of the inspiring 2025 recipients who will be invited to attend the 4th ILDS World Skin Summit in Cape Town, South Africa in October 2025 to join global dermatology leaders in shaping the strategic direction of the ILDS. Find out more about ILDS Awards

The recipients of the ILDS 2024 Certificate of Appreciation (CoA) Awards announced in July have started to receive their certificates. Please do follow us on social media as we share these presentations to highlight the inspiring work undertaken by the winners. The next cycle for 2025 CoAs opens in December where ILDS Members can submit 2 nominations in either Humanitarian Dermatology or International Leadership. Find out more her e. Not an ILDS Member? Join today to be eligible to nominate.

Events and webinars

Find out about upcoming ILDS and Member events!

*Terms and conditions apply (see form for more details). Any request received may be considered by the Communications Committee before publication.

Find out more here

Important dates

29 October 2024

GLODERM Webinar: Skin NTDS

1 November 2024

Deadline for DermImpact and DermLink Grant 2025 applications

30 November 2024

Membership renewal forms sent by email

6 December 2024

Call for nominations for the Certificate of Appreciation Awards 2025

31 December 2024

Deadline for submission of membership renewal forms

2 January 2025

Membership renewal invoices sent

24-25 October 2025

SAVE THE DATE - 4th ILDS World Skin Summit in Cape Town, South Africa

Follow @ILDSDerm to stay up to date with all the latest news, activities and opportunities or scan the QR code below.

Date of issue: October 2024