Skin diseases are the harsh reality of millions of people who still do not get timely care and treatment in Europe. EFA has been active in advocating change for people with atopic eczema in Europe. This is why we joined forces with the World Skin Health Coalition in a #NotJustMySkin campaign to call on policymakers to prioritise skin diseses for better lives of people living with skin conditions.
Skin diseases such as atopic eczema / atopic dermatitis are the world’s third most prevalent cause of illness and in the top 10 causes of disability. Too often patients are misdiagnosed and lack access to appropriate treatments – either because none exist, or they simply cannot afford it. These factors tremendously impact patients’ quality of life and well-being.
Only in Europe, skin conditions are a harsh reality for millions of people. And the impact on patient's life is often underestimated on many levels: access to care, social support and policies to improve quality of life.
Over the years, EFA has been vocal in advocating change for all people living with atopic eczema in Europe. Despite growing awareness and advancement around skin conditions, the burden atopic eczema patients endure each day is not sufficiently recognised, nor equal.
This is why in April, EFA joined forces with the World Skin Health Coalition in a #NotJustMySkin campaign to call on policymakers to prioritise skin diseases. Our joint campaign, #NotJustMySkin, was an important moment for the EFA Atopic Eczema Community to come together and shed light on the significant impacts skin conditions have on patients. The Coalition is led by our partner organisation, Global Skin.
In this concept, we talked about not just this skin condition, but how it affects the patient’s life when it is underestimated. In many cases, skin diseases are dismissed as “just irritated skin”. But the impact of the disease reaches far beyond physical discomfort. Skin disease impacts patients’ lives in the most profound ways: physically, mentally, socially and financially
#NotJustMySkin campaign aims at unveiling the true challenges – the struggles from lack of timely diagnosis, lack of accessible or affordable treatments, and the often-overlooked mental health impacts in real-life patient stories of resilience.
We called on our community to sign the open letter to ensure policymakers understand the urgency for:
- timely diagnoses that lead to the right treatment
- accessible care and affordable treatment
- recognizing the mental and emotional toll of living with skin conditions
EFA will continue working towards better lives of atopic eczema patients in Europe. Learn more about our annual action on World Atopic Eczema Day and visit our AtopicalLives exhibition to explore real-life stories featuring patients with atopic eczema from all over Europe.