“Over the past years, a lot has happened in the field of global psoriasis advocacy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized psoriasis as a severe, chronic inflammatory disease through a groundbreaking resolution and Global Report on Psoriasis. IFPA members have also succeeded in forging active partnerships with national health authorities. This means we are better equipped than ever to make a difference for people with psoriasis. But we want to take things to the next level. On World Psoriasis Day, we want to fight prejudice, stigmatization and discrimination to raise more awareness, understanding and hope. By breaking down barriers, we help people with psoriasis gain access to diagnosis, treatment and improved life quality.”

“I look around me in the psoriasis community, and see people defying the odds every day. Working hard to chase their dreams despite the daily challenges of psoriasis, they manage to reach the pinnacle of success. This shows that when given the opportunity, people with psoriasis too can excel in whatever they do. That is why World Psoriasis Day is so important: we need to address the ongoing stigma, fear of public rejection and discrimination still felt by a lot of us. October 29 brings us one step closer to the point where people with psoriasis no longer need to miss out on opportunities because of our condition.”

Only once we truly understand the burden of psoriasis, will we be able to command the recognition that people living with psoriasis deserve

This is a project of paramount importance as we seek to determine the natural history and burden of psoriasis across the globe

“The Global report on Psoriasis prepared by the World Health Organization in which IFPA contributed with comments and expert technical review, is a milestone for the global psoriasis community. IFPA together with its members, representing more than 125 million people living with psoriasis around the world, wishes to express its greatest gratitude to all stakeholders involved in the formation of this highly important report, especially the World Health Organization”

“The Global Psoriasis Atlas, GPA, has been established as an international long-term research programme with vision to be the leading epidemiological web-based resource on psoriasis globally; thus informing research, policy and healthcare provision for the disease worldwide. IFPA is proud to be part of the governance of this prominent programme that will be a useful tool in the successful implementation of the recommended actions by the WHO”.

As representatives of the global psoriasis community, we must continue to take action, and to encourage action in others, to ensure that the psoriasis resolution is implemented in the WHO member states and to improve access to proper and efficient treatment and care for all people with psoriasis, regardless of their nationality.

[W]e can all help give each other hope; hope for a world where no people with psoriasis will ever again be ostracized, humiliated or discriminated against

This is a unique conference on a difficult and complex inflammatory disease, which is present practically all over the world and which may entail a great deal of suffering, not only physically but also by causing stigmatization and social exclusion.

Almost a third of people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis yet half of these people will have a considerable delay in diagnosis and treatment. This will lead to irreversible joint damage.

The 67th World Health Assembly adopted a resolution on psoriasis, in which it was recognized that a large portion of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, which can lead to permanent disfigurement and disability. For the global psoriasis community it is important to raise awareness of the added burden of psoriatic arthritis, that so many of us struggle with.

Our understanding of psoriasis as a complex inflammatory immune-mediated disease with significant comorbidities has made important progress over the last few years. New insights have been obtained into the pathogenesis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, which are revolutionizing the treatment of the patient of today and tomorrow.

It is of the highest importance for IFPA and its member organizations to ensure that the disease is understood correctly by policy makers and healthcare professionals and that the necessary steps are taken to provide people with psoriasis with the treatment and care they need and deserve.

Today, not many people think of psoriasis as a disability but this needs to change. People with psoriasis suffer a number of limitations and restrictions in their lives due to their impairments and are faced with enormous barriers as they try to interact with society.

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an excellent opportunity to call for inclusion of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis into both international and national health and disability forums and strategies to ensure that persons living with these diseases are given the opportunities they need and deserve.

Today, patients wish to be well-informed about treatment options, especially when they have a chronic condition such as psoriasis, so that they can make important decisions regarding their disease management and care together with their doctors.

A number of serious conditions have been shown to be associated with psoriasis, such as psoriatic arthritis, metabolic syndrome, diabetes type II and cardiovascular disease. These are conditions that both the patients and the healthcare professionals need to be aware of, so that their psoriasis is managed and monitored correctly

Through World Psoriasis Day, and the survey, we hope that we can identify a clear path forward, towards a society where people with psoriasis can participate fully and be free from the added burdens of stigma and discrimination.

[W]e encourage people with psoriasis, their family members and the physicians that treat them to participate in this important survey

Finally, the voices of the more than 125 million people who live with psoriasis have been heard

We are very pleased that this resolution has now been adopted and will continue to work with civil society to help build a better world for people with psoriasis

This resolution gives us a platform from which we can engage even further with policy makers to help improve access to the treatment and care that people with psoriasis need and deserve

This is a great opportunity for education and greater understanding, making a tremendous collective first step towards alleviating the devastating effects of this chronic inflammatory disease

[P]eople with psoriasis have an elevated risk of developing very serious comorbid conditions that not only reduce the quality of life even further than psoriasis in itself, but can even shorten the life span by several years.

People with psoriasis have to cope with other people staring at them, sometimes even avoiding them, as many believe the disease to be contagious.

Few may think of psoriasis as a disability, but when you look at the facts it becomes quite clear that many people with psoriasis suffer a number of limitations and restrictions due to their impairments and are faced with enormous barriers in their daily lives as they interact with society.

We encourage any group or person dedicated to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis to take action with us to ensure these serious conditions, which often are associated with life-long complications, receive the recognition they need

We want to send a message to healthcare organizations and professionals, regulatory bodies, industry, governments, academia and patient advocacy groups that greater attention and resources need to be allocated to this patient population.

The burden of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is significant, and yet throughout the world there is a vast variation in the quality of care patients receive

By gathering data on the prevalence of psoriasis from as many countries as possible we will be able to form a clear picture of the burden of psoriasis worldwide and in so doing inform better decision making on the use of resources.

The atlas project is about driving constant improvement in the understanding of psoriasis and encouraging the ongoing collection of data and research.

Only once we truly understand the burden will we be able to command the recognition that people living with psoriasis deserve.

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are complex, life-long illnesses which are associated with significant co-morbidities and carry a substantial burden

We have learned during the past half century that treating disease is the greatest source of economic and social equality the world has ever seen...[t]he time has come to apply those hard-won lessons to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis

Although some progress has been made against treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, much work lies ahead, especially in many countries where access to physicians to obtain a correct diagnosis and treatment is limited

We have made great progress, but there is more that needs to be done. We must continue the momentum we have started and work together to create a world without psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

It is critical that health authorities, such as the World Health Organization, recognize psoriasis as the serious disease it is, and that people with psoriasis get access to the care that they need and deserve.

Even if we today don’t have a cure for psoriasis, we can all work for better equality in regards to access to treatment and care, to alleviate the burden of the disease on a person’s life

Giving people with psoriasis access to treatment gives them the chance to fulfill their potential as human beings. Health shouldn’t be a luxury; it is a basic human right.

Knowing how hard the psoriasis community works on all levels to raise awareness every year on and around World Psoriasis Day, October 29, it is very encouraging to see that these efforts are being acknowledged. An adoption of the resolution by the next World Health Assembly would strengthen these efforts even further and help bring a hidden disease into the light.

Psoriasis is not contagious and psoriasis has no borders; it requires action at global, regional and national level.

“Healthcare professionals need to recognize the elevated risk that people with psoriasis carry for developing high blood pressure, and include regular tests for hypertension and other known risk factors of cardiovascular disease for this patient group.”