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Report of the 4th ILDS World Skin Summit

29 Sep 2026

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It gives us great pleasure to present to you this report of the 4th ILDS World Skin Summit (WSS) which took place in Cape Town, South Africa from 23-25 October 2025.

ILDS WSS was designed as a venue for leaders of global dermatological societies to discuss common and unique challenges and opportunities that they face in their societies and regions, and working together, to identify possible collaborations and solutions. The first WSS was held in Berlin, Germany in 2012, and the second in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2018 and the third in Lima, Peru in 2022. Cape Town was selected as the location for the 4th WSS in recognition of the strong leadership and growing impact of dermatology across Africa, alongside the persistent challenges in access to dermatologic care faced by many populations in the region. Holding the Summit in South Africa provided an important opportunity to centre discussions on equity, capacity building and the role of dermatology within broader global health agendas.

Attended by influential leaders representing dermatological societies from around the globe, the 4th ILDS WSS facilitated productive discussions and interactions. Plenary sessions and breakout sessions provided opportunities for participants to exchange ideas and contribute to the ILDS's strategic planning for the coming years. In addition to the dermatological society representatives, patient advocates, the World Health Organization (WHO), academia and industry partners actively participated in the summit. The programme featured 22 speakers and presenters from 14 countries, bringing diverse perspectives across clinical practice, research, policy and patient advocacy, and supporting productive plenary and workshop discussions that will directly inform ILDS strategic planning and programme development in the years ahead.

The success of the Summit was driven by the active participation of attendees, as well as by valuable input provided ahead of the meeting. We would like to thank the ILDS Member representatives, patient partners, speakers, moderators and sponsors for their engagement and collaboration. We are especially grateful to our South African hosts for their leadership and warm hospitality, and to the ILDS Board and Secretariat for their outstanding support in ensuring the smooth delivery of the meeting. Happy reading!

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