On 26 February, EFA President Marcia Podestà spoke at the European Parliament event ‘More than just skin: turning global commitments on skin diseases into EU and national action’, organised by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology (EADV) and co-hosted by MEPs Ewa Kopacz and Elzbieta Lukacijewska (EPP-Poland).
Bringing together policymakers, patient leaders, doctors and scientists, the event aimed to address a key question: how can we harness the opportunity offered by the WHA resolution on skin health, ensuring prompt action at the EU and country level?
Taking place only a few weeks after EFA’s Atopical Lives exhibition and #BreakTheInvisibleBurden campaign launch at the EP, the event confirmed the strong momentum around skin diseases within the political circles.
‘We can’t treat just skin symptoms, our approach must be comprehensive and gender-based’
MEP and Vice-President of the EP Ewa Kopacz noted the need for a reflection to make skin health a priority. The resolution’s call for better diagnosis, access to therapies, and integration into disability and mental health policies, offers a great starting point. From her side, MEP Lukacijewska underlined the burden of skin diseases, affecting physical and mental health, and quality of life as a whole. Both MEPs stressed that beating skin diseases needs a holistic and gender-based approach.
DG SANTE’s Philippe Roux referred to the impact of skin diseases both on persons and systems. In the absence of an EU policy dedicated to skin health, Mr Roux highlighted key relevant EU initiatives, including the Beating Cancer Plan, the Code Against Cancer, and work on key co-morbidities such as the plans for mental and cardiovascular health.
EADV President Dr Branka Marinovic stressed the importance of the WHA resolution as a process that opened the door of skin health into actual policy. She expressed the hope that events like this can help the dermatologists’ community achieve a key goal, which is better patient access to therapies.
Patient representatives also took the floor, calling the EU to take the lead on skin diseases. GlobalSkin’s Jennifer Austin highlighted the importance of a WHO Global Action Plan, as a catalyst of country-level action and accountability. Furthermore, Dirk Provez shared his story of living with severe psoriasis, including his daily struggles and persistent social misconceptions about his disease, leading to stigma and isolation.
Tackling the burden of atopic eczema in Europe: Time for patient-centred action
Speaking from the perspective of people living with atopic eczema, the most common inflammatory skin condition, Marcia Podestà stressed the need to truly recognise the heavy, often invisible burden of atopic eczema. Triggering a holistic policy response means to address the mental and social impact of the disease, ensure fair access to multidisciplinary care, and tackle the financial burden associated with atopic eczema.
To make this a reality, the EFA President proposed a set of concrete steps for EU policy:
- Establishment of an EU Joint Action on AE
- Integration of AE in the Healthier Together-EU Non-Communicable Diseases initiative post-2027
- Integration of AE in the EU Cardiovascular and Mental Health Plans
Finally, Marcia also referred to the WHA resolution and the upcoming Global Action Plan as historical events promising better visibility for skin health worldwide. She encouraged the whole skin health community to seize the momentum and collaborate to build on this unique opportunity, bringing tangible improvement for all patients living with skin conditions.