L’Oréal launches 'Act for Dermatology' to advance access to skin health services

L’Oréal has launched a €20 million, five-year programme spearheaded by its dermatological beauty division to help democratise access to skin health.

As part of the new L’Oréal Act for Dermatology, the company has partnered with the WHO Foundation to support the World Health Organisation’s efforts to increase awareness of the impact of skin diseases globally.

It will enable a global review and assessment of skin health, including common skin diseases such as acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and vitiligo, as well as skin-related neglected tropical diseases, to help broaden WHO's capacity to monitor and combat these health challenges.

With 2.1 billion people globally living with skin disease, the partnership comes at a "pivotal" moment when skin health is gaining recognition on the global health agenda.

Over a third of countries have one dermatologist or fewer per 100,000 people, meaning that at least 3.5 billion people have severely limited access to skin health services.

Myriam Cohen-Welgryn, President of L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty, said: "The L’Oréal Act for Dermatology represents our unwavering commitment to helping improve the lives of billions of people suffering from the physical, mental and emotional burden of skin diseases, by addressing the challenges they face in accessing skin health services for their condition.

"As leaders in dermocosmetics, we have a responsibility to take action. By working closely with dermatologists and healthcare practitioners, scientific bodies and global organisations like the WHO Foundation, we can begin the monumental mission of ensuring skin health accessibility for everyone, everywhere - leaving no community behind."

Under the Act for Dermatology, L’Oréal will invest in research to deepen understanding of skin health, including the main barriers to skin health access, knowledge gaps for skin of colour, the impact of climate change, and the profound effects of stigmatisation linked to skin pathologies.

What's more, the partnership will attempt to elevate skin health to the forefront of public discourse, as well as invest to expand access to skin diagnosis and treatment through the rapid scaling of "best-in-class, locally relevant" solutions.

It also commits to train healthcare workers worldwide to diagnose and treat skin disease and is investing €2 million to facilitate open access to scientific publications for low-to-middle income countries, providing dermatologists with financial support to access or publish critical research.

Anil Soni, Chief Executive Officer of the WHO Foundation, said: "This a fantastic, collaborative project which addresses an under-resourced area of health. A shortage of trained specialists has added to the burden experienced by people across the world; one this project seeks to address through dermatological training, health worker education and awareness raising, among others.

"I’m pleased that this initiative cements the relationship between the WHO Foundation and L’Oréal, which brings such expertise and passion to the partnership."