NO HEALTH WITHOUT SKIN HEALTH: A GLOBAL CALL TO END SKIN BLEACHING AND PRIORITISE DERMATOLOGICAL EQUITY

Despite its profound role in our well-being, skin health is routinely sidelined in global health agendas. This year, the message is clear: healthy skin is not a luxury, but a fundamental part of human health

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Every July 8, World Skin Health Day asks the world to reconsider what we see and what we choose not to see. Skin, the body's largest organ, is also its most visible and most vulnerable. It is both a physical barrier and a mirror of health, dignity and social belonging. Yet, despite its profound role in our well-being, skin health is routinely sidelined in global health agendas.

In 2025, the message of World Skin Health Day is clear and urgent: #NoHealthWithoutSkinHealtha bold next step.

This year's campaign builds on a historic achievement: the 78th World Health Assembly passed a landmark resolution officially recognising skin diseases as a public health priority.

"The resolution is the result of years of work by ministries of health and the dermatological community," says Esther Freeman, director of global health dermatology at Harvard Medical School. "Skin disease touches so many areas, infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, even cancer. Its inclusion signals long-overdue recognition."

"What this means for patients is greater visibility, better funding, and stronger policy support," she adds. "It opens the door to cross-sectoral partnerships and the integration of dermatology into broader health systems."

But recognition is just the beginning. One of the most urgent and visible challenges facing dermatologists today is the global crisis of skin bleaching and this year, International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) has taken

The International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) represents over 200 dermatological societies across the globe. The World Skin Health Day is a join initiative by the ILDS and the International Society of Dermatology (ISD). These societies collectively include more than 2,00,000 dermatologists,