The International Alliance for Global Health Dermatology (GLODERM), in partnership with CeraVe’s “Care for All” social impact program, has awarded $140,000 in grants to support seven projects run by dermatologists working in low-resource settings around the world.

Each recipient will receive $20,000 to kickstart a year-long project aimed at expanding access to dermatological care in regions where it is most needed.

It is the second year of the GLODERM x CeraVe Access Grants initiative, which forms part of GLODERM’s wider Mentorship Programme. The Programme offers one year’s virtual and in-person mentoring and educational resources to develop leadership skills and build expertise in global health dermatology. Managed by the International League of Dermatological Societies’ (ILDS) charitable foundation, the International Foundation for Dermatology, in collaboration with CeraVe Care for All, the Mentorship Programme is creating a network of GLODERM mentees, who are spearheading initiatives that upskill healthcare workers, promote the importance of skin health, and enhance access to skin health services globally.

2025 Grant Recipients

Following their graduation from the GLODERM Mentorship Programme, the following dermatologists have now been awarded grants for their proposed projects:

• Regitta Agusni (Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia): She will implement a dermatovenereology outreach programme to increase access to skin health care in collaboration with the Ksatria Airlangga Floating Hospital and primary healthcare workers in Indonesia’s remote Maluku Islands province.
• Mendrika Rakotoarisaona (Malagasy Society of Dermatology, Madagascar): She will work with a primary health centre on the installation of technology that enables healthcare workers to use digital skin health tools to provide support to individuals affected by neglected tropical skin diseases in Moramanga City, Madagascar.
• Hafidh Hassan (Tanzania Society for Dermatovenerology, Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar): He aims to improve care for people living with albinism (PLWA) in Zanzibar. His project will first identify PLWA in the region then deliver outreach programmes that provide health education, training on skin and eye protection, as well as screening services and consultations.
• Keturah Edwin-Tobias (Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs, St Lucia): Her project aims to eliminate leprosy from the island of St Lucia. It includes educational initiatives within dermatology clinics to increase the capacity of medical teams to diagnose skin conditions, especially leprosy, as well as organising “skin camps” to provide screening and treatment for the community.
• Cyndy Muliro (Regional Dermatology Training Centre, Moshi, Tanzania): She will enhance access to dermatological care in Turkana County in rural Kenya by launching an outreach clinic, training frontline healthcare workers to diagnose skin diseases, and expanding the availability of teledermatology services.
• Phuong Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam): She will leverage the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) telementoring programme, encouraging participants in her project to engage with the ECHO virtual community to share support, guidance, and best practice. She will also be developing hospital collaborations to expand dermatology education and care across southern Vietnam.
• Magdalena Dennis (Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam & Bagamoyo District Hospital, Tanzania): She will integrate teledermatology with community healthcare workers to improve dermatology consultations, outreach efforts, and public awareness campaigns in the town of Bagamoyo.

Projects Beginning in April 2025

Each of these projects begins in April 2025.

“The applications for this year’s GLODERM x CeraVe Access Grants were truly inspiring,” says GLODERM’s Chair, Dr Karolyn (Kari) Wanat in a news release. “Each project will make a tangible difference in addressing the current global disparities in dermatological health. We congratulate the recipients on their ambitious and exciting plans to improve the lives of those living with skin diseases. We’re deeply grateful to CeraVe Care for All for its commitment to global skin health and for providing the funding that makes these grants possible.”

Commenting on the award of her GLODERM x CeraVe Access Grant, Dr Edwin-Tobias says, “This grant will enable us to build a sustainable model of education and care that benefits both healthcare providers and the communities they serve on St Lucia. Expanding the scope and inclusivity of our programme will contribute to a more equitable healthcare system, ensuring no patient is left behind.”

“We’re thrilled to kick off the second year of the GLODERM x CeraVe Access Grants,” adds Gene Colón, CeraVe’s Global SVP of Medical Affairs and Communications. “It’s an honour to back these remarkable changemakers who are driving essential dermatological work to bring much-needed care to their communities. These transformative, impactful efforts are set to create ripples that will resonate both locally and globally, changing lives and advancing skin health worldwide.”