More than 40% of countries across the globe have reported climate-related changes in the prevalence/severity of skin disease, according to a study presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress. The study was a collaboration between the International League of Dermatological Societies and L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty and invited representatives from World Health Organization member countries to participate.
According to the organization’s press release, data was collected from 136 countries from four World Bank income groups. The results showed that 42.6% of respondents reported changes in the prevalence and/or severity of skin diseases due to climate change. Further, more than half of low-income (55.6%) and lower-middle-income (52.5%) countries reported climate-related changes in skin disease, compared to 43.8% of upper-middle-income countries and 28.3% of high-income countries.
“The most important finding from our study is that climate change is already associated with negative impacts on skin disease, and these effects disproportionately burden lower-income settings,” said study author Dr. Esther Freeman. “We often think about the effects of extreme weather on heatstroke, cardiovascular systems and respiratory diseases, but the skin is our front line to climate change. Higher temperatures and humidity can increase sweating and skin irritation, while heat, air pollution and other environmental exposures may trigger or worsen inflammation. Shifts in temperature and rainfall can also affect the habitats of mosquitoes, ticks and other disease vectors, potentially allowing them to survive in places where they were previously uncommon.”
Geographically, changes in skin disease due to climate change were most frequently reported in the Western Pacific Region at 64.7%, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asian regions. In the African region, 42.9% of respondents were unsure about the impact of climate change on skin disease, which the authors believe highlights an opportunity for further education.
“We need to start treating skin health as part of climate-health preparedness,” Dr. Freeman concluded.
