Looking back at ILDS in 2024

In 2024, the ILDS continued to progress in advancing global skin health through strategic growth, strengthened partnerships, and impactful initiatives. Membership expanded by 4.33%, welcoming 9 new Member Societies and improving the application process. The first virtual Annual General Meeting and Member Forum successfully engaged 80 representatives of the 217 ILDS Member Societies. Communication efforts flourished with a 34% rise in ILDS social media followers and the launch of the impactful "ILDS in Motion" film project. Award nominations increased notably, and for the first time, a press release celebrated winners, further elevating the ILDS’s global profile.

Preparations for the World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) 2027 advanced significantly, and bids for WCD 2031 were received from Dubai, Madrid, and Riyadh. Planning for the World Skin Summit 2025 in Cape Town progressed with a comprehensive Scientific Programme.

WHO collaborations led to the submission of two biologic medicines for inclusion on the Essential Medicines List, while ILDS-organised side events at the World Health Assembly and NNN Annual Conference expanded the global focus on skin health. The Global Partnership for Education and Care (GPEC) launched with 12 partner institutions impacting over 1,700 healthcare providers.

The Grand Challenges continued their momentum with major updates from the Global Atlases on psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, vitiligo, and chronic prurigo. The Global Access to Skin Health Observatory Studyreached a significant milestone, receiving responses from 85 countries upon launching the global survey. The World Skin Health Day campaign reached 2.6 million people, highlighting ILDS’s tireless efforts to promote skin health worldwide.

The ILDS Secretariat grew by three new staff members and supported two key ILDS Board Meetings.

The International Foundation for Dermatology (IFD), ILDS’s charitable arm, made significant strides in 2024, strengthening its global impact on underserved communities. Through initiatives like the Migrant Health Working Group, partnership with the Regional Dermatology Training Center, the newly established Persons with Albinism Working Group, and the expansion of the DermLink and new DermImpact grants, the IFD enabled the delivery of crucial care, provided education, and training to thousands worldwide.

TheRDTC in Tanzania alone treated over 20,000 patients and carried out 40 outreach clinics providing crucial care for People with Albinism and XP patients. Another significant milestone was the partnership established with the Pacific Dermatology Limited, to advance dermatology for the Pacific Island Nations through supporting the Pacific Dermatology Training Centre (PDTC) at Tamavua Twomey Hospital in Suva, Fiji. The new funding will increase 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. 

The 2023 DermLink Grants were completed in 2024, where 17 projects reached more than 12,000 individuals in 14 countries across all continents. With an unwavering commitment to capacity building, equity, and collaboration, the IFD continues to champion skin health for vulnerable and marginalised populations around the globe.

These collective efforts demonstrate the ILDS’s continued role in supporting the global dermatology community and advancing access to care, education, research and collaboration in skin health.