World Psoriasis Day 29 October 2023 - Importance, Theme & History

World Psoriasis Day is a global healthcare awareness event observed on the 29th of October every year to raise awareness with regards to psoriatic disease and advocate for the individual rights of those who are affected with psoriasis.

On this day, various local, national, and international organisations join and conduct several awareness campaigns with the aim of promoting early diagnosis, access to effective management, the importance of psoriatic research for the development of advanced treatment, preventive measures for psoriasis flare-ups, and support of people to end discrimination of patients with psoriatic disease.

Importance of World Psoriasis Day (WPD)

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory (immune-mediated) skin condition characterised by red, scaly plaques that most frequently occur on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back and affect the patient’s physical status. In addition to this, the social stigma, psychological burden, and high treatment cost forms the equal share in impacting their quality of life. As per the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) report, 25% (one in every four) of people with psoriasis show signs of depression, and 50% (one in every two) have anxiety disorder.

It affects at any age; however, it occurs mostly to individuals below 35 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognised psoriasis as one of the serious non-communicable diseases in the year 2014. In 2016, the WHO report emphasised the need to have a better understanding of the global burden of psoriasis, which resulted in the establishment of the Global Psoriasis Atlas – an organisation which initiated the research for psoriasis. 

In 2019, as per the Global Burden of Disease Study report, there were 46,22,594 incident cases (new cases) of psoriasis worldwide. The high-income countries had shown the highest age-standardised incidence rate of psoriasis (112.6/1,00,000 people), followed by high-middle socio-demographic index countries (69.4/1,00,000 people) and low socio-demographic index countries (38.1/1,00,000 people). The global psoriasis prevalence rate is nearly 2-3% of the world population, where the prevalence rate of psoriatic diseases ranges from 0.91 to 8.5% in adults and from 0.0 to 2.1% in children. As per a 2017 research study, the prevalence rate in India is reported as 0.44-28%; it affects people aged more than 30 or 40 years, where males have been affected two times more commonly than females. 

As per the IFPA report, 6 crore people are currently living with psoriatic disease globally. This number depicts the lacuna of unmet research in psoriasis regarding the development of novel advanced medications or therapy and other ways to improve healthcare services. Thus, World Psoriasis Day can aid by creating awareness and promoting call-for-action themes that notify healthcare authorities and governing bodies by emphasising the importance of the development and availability of advanced treatment options for psoriasis.

World Psoriasis Day 2023 Theme

This year, 2023, the World Psoriasis Day theme is “Access for All”, a global call for the provision of access to high-quality psoriatic treatment or care, irrespective of income and geographical location and at the right time for all who are battling with psoriasis.

Year-by-Year Themes for World Psoriasis Day:

• World Psoriasis Day 2022 Theme: United We Tackel Mental Health
• World Psoriasis Day 2021 Theme: United Now Act
• World Psoriasis Day 2020 Theme: Informed
• World Psoriasis Day 2019 Theme: Connected
• World Psoriasis Day 2018 Theme: Treat Psoriasis Seriously

History of World Psoriasis Day (WPD)

The first World Psoriasis Day was celebrated in 2004; however, the World Health Organization's member nations recognised the necessity of raising awareness about psoriasis systematically in 2014 and passed a resolution designating the 29th of October as the official day to celebrate World Psoriasis Day. 

Preventive measures for Psoriasis disease

There is no specific measure to prevent psoriasis as it is an autoimmune disease; however, the following can aid in reducing the flare-ups of the condition. 

• Applying moisturising creams
• Avoiding dry and cold weather
• Using a humidifier that aids in keeping skin moist.
• Avoiding the over-the-counter medications that induce flare-ups
• Practising daily meditation that acts as a stress or anxiety reliever.
• Getting moderate exposure to sunlight that slows the growth of skin cells
• Abstaining from alcohol
• Maintaining healthy weight

Know more about health awareness days

Department of Dermatology