8 Dec 2025
The International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) convened the World Skin Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, on 24th – 25th October 2025. Over two days, experts examined how the field of dermatology can drive greater health equity by addressing persistent global disparities in access to care, medicines and diagnostics. Participants highlighted the growing momentum generated by the World Health Assembly Resolution on Skin Diseases adopted in May 2025, which formally recognised skin conditions as a global health priority. They also welcomed the recent addition of key dermatological treatments to the WHO Essential Medicines List, while emphasising that substantial progress is still required.
Delegates proposed a range of innovative approaches, including expanding teledermatology and AI-enabled triage, strengthening local manufacturing, advancing fair pricing negotiations, deploying mobile clinics and developing standardised migrant-health toolkits. Enhanced data collection through ILDS member societies, together with deeper engagement from industry partners, was also encouraged to support affordability and sustainable access.
Overall, discussions underscored the urgent need for coordinated global action to embed skin health as an integral component of universal health coverage. Participants called for evidence-based policy, equitable pricing strategies and resilient health systems to ensure that people everywhere can obtain safe, affordable and effective treatment for skin diseases.