[May 26, 2014] |
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International Federation of Psoriasis Associations: 67th World Health Assembly Recognizes Psoriasis as a Serious Non-Communicable Disease
STOCKHOLM --(Business Wire)--
At the 67th World Health Assembly, the WHO member states adopted a
resolution on psoriasis, recognizing it as "a chronic, non-communicable,
painful, disfiguring, and disabling disease for which there is no cure."
The resolution also acknowledges the psychosocial burden of the disease
and that many people with psoriasis suffer due to lack of awareness and
access to sufficient treatment.
Lars Ettarp, President of the International Federation of Psoriasis
Associations (IFPA) comments: "IFPA, together with its member
associations and leading medical societies, has long called for the WHO
and its member states to recognize the serious nature of psoriasis.
Finally, the voices of the more than 125 million people who live with
psoriasis have been heard, and on this historic day for the global
psoriasis community we wish to express our great appreciation for all
the stakeholders involved in bringing about this important resolution,
especially all the WHO member states that have shown their support for
our cause."
Panama is one of the WHO member states that has actively supported the
resolution and the campaign for recognition of psoriasis. HE Ambassador
Alberto Navarro Brin of the Permanent Mission of Panama to the United
Nations in Geneva, states: "Together with Argentina, Ecuador and Qatar,
Panama recognized the need for greater awareness of this disease which
has such a major impact on the health-related quality of life for its
sufferers, and initiated discussions with other WHO member states to
gain their support. We are very pleased that this resolution has now
been adopted and will continue to work with civil society to help build
a better world for people with psoriasis."
One of the stakeholders that have engaged with IFPA in advocacy for
global recognition of psoriasis is the International League of
Dermatological Societies, ILDS. Professor Wolfram Sterry, the President
of ILDS, comments: "As a dermatologist I have seen first-hand how deeply
psoriasis affects people in their daily lves, as have the many members
of our worldwide organization. Together with the psoriasis patient
associations, we have been able to educate policy makers on the impact
this disease has and what can be done to ease its burden. This
resolution gives us a platform from which we can engage even further
with policy makers to help improve access to the treatment and care that
people with psoriasis need and deserve."
Kathleen Gallant, Secretary of IFPA and Chair IFPA Task Force on NCDs,
agrees that the resolution is an important platform from which to effect
change: "The adoption of the psoriasis resolution by the 67th World
Health Assembly sends a powerful, global message that psoriasis is a
serious immune-mediated, painful and disabling NCD that needs greater
public awareness of its inflammatory nature, many physical and
psychosocial impacts and shared risk factors with other, more deadly
NCDs. This is a great opportunity for education and greater
understanding, making a tremendous collective first step towards
alleviating the devastating effects of this chronic inflammatory
disease."
Link to the WHO resolution EB133.R2 Resolution on psoriasisĀ (http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB133/B133_R2-en.pdf)
(Please note that the name of the resolution was changed during WHA
discussions to "Psoriasis".)
Acknowledgments IFPA wishes to thank the following for
their invaluable support and commitment to the global psoriasis
community:
The sovereign states of Argentina, Ecuador, Panama and Qatar and their
Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva for initiating the
resolution on psoriasis, as well as all the other WHO member states
co-sponsoring and supporting the resolution The national and
regional member associations of IFPA The International League of
Dermatological Societies (ILDS) The International Psoriasis Council
(IPC (News - Alert)) The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and
Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) The Psoriasis International Network
(PIN) The Sociedad Latinoamericana de Psoriasis (SOLAPSO) The
European Association of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) The
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) The PsorAsia MD network The
Pan Arabic Psoriasis network
About:
The International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA)
The International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) is the
non-profit umbrella organization for the majority of psoriasis
associations from around the world. Today IFPA has 50 member
associations covering all regions of the world. IFPA unites psoriasis
associations so that their global campaign for improved medical care,
greater public understanding and increased research will improve the
lives of the more than 125 million people who live with psoriasis and/or
psoriatic arthritis.
You can read more about IFPA, our members and our activities on our
website www.ifpa-pso.org.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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