Global health dermatology: An emerging field addressing the access to care crisis

Global health dermatology: An emerging field addressing the access to care crisis

Authors: Esther E Freeman

Journal: Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2024;90:3–4. , 10.25259/IJDVL_1361_2023

Published: December 2023

There are more than 1 billion people living with skin diseases around the world, but less than half have access to adequate healthcare.1,2 Healthcare access itself is complex and can be characterised by the five A’s: affordability (cost and the client’s ability to pay), availability (of personnel and technology), accessibility (geography), accommodation (how care meets the needs of the client) and acceptability (client’s comfort level with care).3 The global healthcare system is increasingly focusing on the quality of healthcare delivered in under-resourced settings. If a patient can access a healthcare provider and pay for the services, but that healthcare provider is inadequately equipped to make a diagnosis, then the system is considered inefficient.4 In dermatology, global health means ‘an area of research and practice “that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide”, both on an individual and public health level’.5 This does not necessarily mean care delivered ‘somewhere else’ or across an international border. Instead, the focus is on underserved communities and populations wherever they are, including our own communities. India has a long history of efforts to increase access to care through ‘community dermatology’.6–8 Global health dermatology is an extension of this work rather than a departure.

The status of dermatologic care not only varies by region but also within regions by community. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, there are 0–3 dermatologists per million population.9 In the United States, this number reaches 34 ... [Read the full article here]