29 October 2018 is World Psoriasis Day

• World Psoriasis Day has been celebrated across the globe annually on 29 October since 2004.
• World Psoriasis Day focuses global attention on addressing the needs of more than 125 million people living with psoriasis worldwide.
• IFPA – the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations and its members in more than 50 countries are organizing global, regional and national events in support of World Psoriasis Day under this year’s theme: “Treat Psoriasis Seriously”.
  

Stockholm, 29 October 2018 – 29 October is World Psoriasis Day, the day when the global psoriasis community unites to call for greater awareness and understanding of this complex and challenging disease, as well as for action from governments and institutions worldwide to ensure appropriate attention and care for people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Unfortunately, psoriasis is still much too often perceived and treated as “just a skin disease” or a cosmetic problem, due to a lack of public awareness about psoriasis. In fact, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are serious diseases that affect the entire body and raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other co-morbidities. World Psoriasis Day is more than a day for awareness; it is a global campaign that gathers individuals, patient organizations, civil society, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to take action on behalf of people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis—action that can drive change and bring positive developments to the lives of 125 million people worldwide. In 2004, several psoriasis patient associations got together and made World Psoriasis Day a reality. The dedication and enthusiasm by advocates worldwide have ensured that World Psoriasis Day remains an important annual moment to place psoriasis on the agenda among non-communicable diseases that need immediate attention and action on a global scale. Today, World Psoriasis Day is observed in over 80 countries worldwide.

Dr. Hoseah Waweru, IFPA President, comments on this occasion: “World Psoriasis Day has been an expanding worldwide movement for 14 years, raising awareness and making a real difference in the lives of millions of people living with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. IFPA’s work has been instrumental in putting psoriasis on the global agenda, by advocating for and reaching a WHO Resolution on psoriasis in 2014, a WHO report on psoriasis in 2016, and including psoriasis in civil society advocacy efforts at the 2018 United Nations High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases. World Psoriasis Day is an occasion to celebrate the successes and the extraordinary strength of people living with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. This year, we want to highlight the seriousness of this disease. Psoriasis goes much deeper than the skin. Effective and efficient treatment saves lives.”

Josef de Guzman, Chairman of the World Psoriasis Day Steering Committee, adds, “There is also a strong and important connection between psoriasis and mental health. Depression can be very real for patients and is often one of the most challenging aspects of living with the disease. This should be taken very seriously.”

This year’s World Psoriasis Day theme is Treat Psoriasis Seriously. On this occasion, more than 55 patient associations from around the globe, as well as healthcare organizations, research institutions, grassroots organizations, businesses, and individuals will join IFPA to highlight the seriousness of this disease, and to spread the message that psoriasis is so much more than just a skin disease. Psoriasis affects the entire body and can shorten a lifespan by 10 years or more. People living with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis need access to quality treatment to slow disease progression… our lives depend on it.

In the lead up to October 29, IFPA launched a social media campaign with the hashtags #WPD18, #PSOserious, and #PSAserious. The campaign has reached an audience of more than 2,000,000 users on Twitter just in the weeks leading up to the days. To read more about World Psoriasis Day and the 2018 campaign, please visit www.worldpsoriasisday.com.

Image files for use in articles and news reporting

You are welcome to make use of these high resolution image files:

• World Psoriasis Day Poster
• 2018 Campaign logo

About IFPAThe International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) is a non-profit organization made up of psoriasis associations from around the world. As the main global psoriasis patient organization, IFPA’s goals are to empower its members through global unity and acting as their global voice, improve living conditions for people with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis by advocating for correct diagnosis, universal access to treatment and less discrimination and stigmatization, raise awareness of the disease and to cooperate with relevant stakeholders to achieve outcomes on global, regional and national level.

Key IFPA actions include World Psoriasis Day (annually on October 29) and a scientific psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis world conference every three years. IFPA has also founded the Global Psoriasis Coalition, which unites stakeholders in promoting psoriasis on the international non-communicable disease (NCD) policy agenda. Since its founding in 1971, IFPA has continuously sought to resolve the challenges facing over 125 million people with psoriasis worldwide.

Learn more about IFPA at www.ifpa-pso.com, follow @psoriasisIFPA for updates, or contact IFPA’s Executive Director, Mr. Patrik Vuorio, at patrik.vuorio@ifpa-pso.com for additional information.