IFPA

How much are psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis really costing our health systems and economies?

Our new research, published in Dermatology and Therapy, found that cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and depression, associated with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, generate substantial healthcare costs and productivity losses, amounting to billions over time.

The study estimates that these conditions generate:
🔸USD 5.2 billion every year and USD 153 billion over a lifetime in the United States
🔸EUR 55 million every year and EUR 1.4 billion over a lifetime in Denmark
🔸USD 22 million every year and USD 673 million over a lifetime in Vietnam

The good news? Earlier effective treatment could reduce this burden up to 48%.

How?
Reducing the risk of comorbidities means fewer hospitalizations, less medication costs, as well as improved mental health, increased productivity and better long-term health for over 100 million people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

The message is clear: psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are much more than skin and joint symptoms. They cost billions in healthcare and productivity losses and place a substantial burden on societies and economies.

A special thanks to Raquel Vaz, Scientific Project Lead at IFPA and co-author of the study, whose hard work helped bring this important evidence to light.

📖 Read the full article to explore the hidden cost of psoriatic disease and why earlier intervention matters. Link is in the first comment 👇

💜 Living with psoriasis and planning to start a family?

For many women living with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, family planning is an important milestone. Questions about treatment, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and symptom management can make the journey feel overwhelming.

That's why we developed "Embracing Motherhood: A Guide for Women with Psoriatic Disease" – a practical checklist designed to help women prepare for conversations with their doctor and navigate every stage of their family planning journey.

📝 The checklist covers:
✔️ Treatment and medication planning
✔️ Questions to ask before trying to conceive
✔️ Pregnancy monitoring and symptom management
✔️ Preparing for postpartum flares and breastfeeding.. and much more!

Every motherhood journey is unique. As World Psoriasis Day 2026 focuses on youth, we hope this checklist helps women living with psoriatic disease feel informed, supported, and confident as they navigate family planning and parenthood. 💜

Check on our website: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0w8-sh0

We commend our member organization from Argentina—AEPSO (the Argentine Psoriasis Association)—and COLAPPIEL (the Latin American Coalition of Patient Organizations for Skin Diseases) for their participation in RADLA 2026 in Buenos Aires and for highlighting the patient perspective within the dermatology community.

RADLA (Reunión Anual de Dermatólogos Latinoamericanos) is one of the region’s leading dermatology congresses, bringing together dermatologists from across Latin America to exchange knowledge, discuss scientific advances, and improve patient care.

Silvia Barrio, IFPA's Board member and President of AEPSO, and Martin Petrocco, Executive Director of AEPSO, hosted a booth, engaging with dermatologists, researchers, and healthcare leaders from across the region.

They also organized a dedicated session, titled “The Latin American Data No One Has Seen Yet: Real-World Evidence and Collaborative Work in Immune-Mediated Diseases,” which showcased key findings from regional patient surveys and policy scorecards, highlighting gaps in diagnosis, treatment access, and care for people living with immune-mediated skin diseases.

The session attracted dermatologists from across Latin America, representatives of the Latin American Pediatric Dermatology Society, and presidents of six dermatology societies from three countries.

Participation in RADLA also provided an opportunity to discuss next steps for a new regional initiative bringing together clinical and patient organizations—including International Psoriasis Council, IFPA, PANLAR, Solapso, and COLAPPIEL—to improve psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis care across Latin America.

Big thanks to our Argentinian member organization, AEPSO, and its representatives, Silvia Barrio and Martin Petrocco, for organizing this important engagement at RADLA 2026 and for helping strengthen dialogue between patient organizations and the dermatology community across Latin America.

It's June and time for (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology), taking place in London on June 3–6.

Over the coming days, we look forward to connecting with rheumatologists, other clinicians, researchers, patient advocates, and partners from around the world to share knowledge and speak up for people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

📍If you are at EULAR these days, make sure to stop by and visit us at Booth 04 and catch up with IFPA's representative Raquel Vaz, Scientific Project Leader at IFPA, and Jaime Melancia, IFPA's Board Member.

🌈 June is Pride Month.
This Pride Month —and throughout the year—we stand with LGBTQI+ people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Many LGBTQI+ people continue to face stigma, discrimination, and significant barriers to healthcare. In many parts of the world, it is still unsafe to openly express your gender identity or sexual orientation. As a result, many prefer to avoid healthcare services and other institutions altogether.

The reality of many people with psoriasis is, unfortunately, quite similar. Over 80% of people living with psoriasis experience stigma and discrimination and nearly half feel anxious every day.

For LGBTQI+ people living with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, these challenges can overlap, creating a double-burden of stigma, discrimination and health risks – both psoriasis-related and linked to sexual orientation or gender identity.

Research from the US found that sexual minority individuals with psoriasis have nearly four times higher odds of reporting symptoms of clinical depression, frequent distress, and poor overall health compared with heterosexuals living with psoriasis.

We still know too little about the experiences of LGBTQI+ people living with psoriasis, and especially about how psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affect transgender and gender-diverse communities. Listening to these voices and closing these gaps is an important step toward a more inclusive world, where everyone can enjoy their full lives, free from stigma and discrimination, and able to access the care they need. 🌈💜

What does impact for the global psoriatic community look like?
Our Annual Report 2025 highlights a year of leading global advocacy, uniting stakeholders, strengthening our members, and raising awareness of the links between psoriatic disease and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression.

From the IFPA Forum in Bogotá and the special event we organized at , to our high-level meeting in Geneva and the global celebration of World Psoriasis Day, – together with our members and partners we strengthened recognition of psoriatic disease as a serious noncommunicable disease that must be addressed in global health policies and care approaches.

👉 Read about the milestones we, our members, and partners achieved in 2025:
https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0vJVr10

We are proud to announce the theme for the 2026 World Psoriasis Day campaign: Young people living with psoriasis – “Look Beyond My Skin.”

Why have we chosen to focus on youth this year? Over 30% of people living with psoriasis experienced their first symptoms in childhood or during their teenage years.

The years between 18 and 35 are critical for shaping the future — making friends, dating, building a family, choosing a field of study or a career path. Living with a condition that is not only physically painful but also highly visible can mean being stared at on the bus, avoided in school hallways, rejected by a potential date, or feeling the need to hide your skin under long sleeves even in the middle of summer.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, and as conversations around mental wellbeing take central stage globally, it is important to acknowledge the invisible emotional burden that often comes with visible conditions like psoriasis.

Many young people living with psoriasis feel embarrassed, left out, lonely, or constantly worried about what others think of them. The emotional toll of stigma and isolation can be even greater than the physical symptoms themselves.

Every young person deserves to experience youth positively — through friendships, romantic relationships, education, career opportunities, self-expression, and the freedom to pursue their dreams.

In this year’s campaign, we would like to give space to young psoriasis heroes to tell their stories and empower each other.

The slogan is a call for society to see the person beyond the disease — to embrace people for who they are and to take their experiences seriously.

So let’s be mindful when we meet someone with a visible condition. Let’s see the whole person, not just the disease. Let’s .

Learn more: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0vJGGm0