Dr. Lars E. French talks to The Dermatology Digest about the significance of the World Health Assembly (WHA)’s Resolution on Skin Health, which was adopted at the Group’s 78th Assembly in May 2025. Dr. French, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich, Germany, and the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) Past President and Chair of the ILDS-WHO Committee, explains how he hopes this Resolution will improve care for the more than two billion people globally living with skin diseases in the future.
“This is really a game-changer for visibility, funding, and action, and something that’s important for patients suffering from skin diseases worldwide,” he says. “It really elevates skin health on a national and international agenda and paves the way… for coordinated action, funding, and policy change down the line, and that’s really the objective.”
The Resolution calls for:
• The dedication of adequate resources and the prioritization of skin diseases and their comorbidities
• Strengthening of national surveillance, data collection, and the mapping of skin diseases to promote targeted interventions
• Strengthening competency-based education for the health workforce in primary healthcare settings to help them identify and manage skin diseases and their comorbidities
