The Skin Diseases Resolution
In May 2025, the 78th World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA78.15, recognising skin diseases as a global public health priority. It was the first time in the history of the World Health Assembly that skin diseases were formally elevated to the level of a standing political commitment by Member States.

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The resolution commits Member States to coordinate national action across the full spectrum of skin conditions. It calls for:

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• Strengthened financing and human resources for skin health programmes

• Improved surveillance and data collection systems

• Expanded capacity-building and laboratory diagnostic infrastructure

• Equitable access to essential medicines for skin diseases

• Integration of skin health with primary healthcare and UHC frameworks, with provision for mental health support, rehabilitation, and disability management

• Innovative service delivery models, including teledermatology and AI-assisted approaches

• Advancing research and innovation on skin diseases

• Active engagement and meaning participation of people affected by skin diseases 

• WHO leadership in facilitating transformative change at global, regional, and country levels

 

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Introducing GAP-Skin 2026–2035: Skin Health for All
Crucially, the WHA resolution also requested the WHO Director-General to develop a Global Action Plan for Skin Diseases (GAP-Skin), now titled GAP-Skin 2026–2035: Skin Health for All, for formal consideration at the 80th World Health Assembly in 2027. The GAP-Skin process now represents the principal accountability and implementation mechanism for translating the resolution into action at global, regional and national levels.

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GAP-Skin Public Consultation

Following adoption of resolution WHA78.15, WHO conducted a survey of Member States and stakeholders to gather foundational inputs informing the first draft of the GAP-Skin. This survey highlighted a number of persistent barriers affecting progress on skin diseases, including workforce shortages, limited financing, inadequate access to diagnostics and treatment, stigma and discrimination, weak surveillance systems, and insufficient integration within primary healthcare systems. It also identified priorities for coordinated global action. 

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Following the analysis of these results WHO convened a group of stakeholders to develop a draft Global Action Plan which included six strategic objectives:

1. Elevate the Status of Skin Diseases as a Global Priority via National Public Health Plans

2. Integrate People-Centred Skin Health Services into Primary Health Care

3. Strengthen Workforce Capacity, Competency, and Health System Enablers 

4. Promote Equity, Good Mental Health, Stigma and Discrimination Reduction, and Person-Centred Care

5. Enhance Surveillance, Data Systems, Laboratory Networks, and Research 

6. Strengthen Coordination, Partnerships, and Sustainable Financing

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In April 2026 WHO opened a public consultation on the draft Global Action Plan on Skin Diseases 2026–2035. This represented a pivotal opportunity for civil society, patient organisations, researchers, and governments to shape the framework that will guide global commitments for a decade. The consultation closed on 10 May 2026.

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The latest updates on GAP-Skin, including key consultation outcomes and next steps, will be shared during the WHA79 official side event: From Resolution to Action: Implementing the WHA Resolution on Skin Diseases, Thursday 21 May 2026 18:00-19:30, in-person or online.
 

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Ongoing and Upcoming Advocacy Initiatives

The period surrounding WHA79 reflects growing global momentum around skin health, with increasing political, technical, and civil society engagement across the skin diseases agenda. The following initiatives present important opportunities for the Skin NTD community to strengthen visibility, build partnerships, and help shape implementation of the WHA resolution and GAP-Skin process. 
 

 
EU Parliamentary Action: Building from 'More Than Just Skin'
In February 2026, the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, alongside senior Members of the European Parliament, convened a high-level conference in Brussels examining how WHA78.15 can be translated into concrete EU and national policy. This signals growing political will in a key donor and policy-setting region. The Skin NTDs community should actively cultivate this corridor, positioning the NTD Road Map's integration agenda within emerging EU global health commitments.

 

One Health Research and Advocacy
Emerging research and advocacy efforts are increasingly positioning Skin NTDs within broader One Health frameworks that recognise the interconnected relationship between human, animal, and environmental health. A 2026 Nature Communications review has called for integrated Skin NTD action through a One Health lens. This framing opens new opportunities to engage climate, biodiversity, and development financing streams. Advocates should be prepared to articulate Skin NTDs within One Health narratives at WHA79 side events and bilateral engagements.

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13 WHO Skin NTDs Working Groups: Maintaining Momentum

The working groups established after the first global skin NTD meeting in 2023 remain important drivers of technical and programmatic progress in this field. Their ongoing work on diagnostics, stigma reduction, data systems, community engagement, integrated service delivery, and workforce strengthening provides an important foundation for implementation of the WHA resolution and future GAP-Skin priorities. 
 

Ensuring that their outputs on diagnostics, stigma reduction, community engagement, data systems, and more are visible at WHA79 is essential for maintaining skin NTDs as a global health priority.