Push to reverse uneven medical skin care access

South Africa has fewer than five dermatologists for every million people, and most of them are in big city hospitals or private rooms. For everyone else, especially in rural and low-income communities, a simple skin check can mean months of waiting or hours on the road.

Prof Ncoza Dlova, former dean of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s School of Clinical Medicine, says access to dermatology care in South Africa is “highly uneven”. Dlova, together with other global leading dermatology experts, set three global priorities to drive equity in skin health at the recent World Skin Summit, organised by the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) in Cape Town. The priorities are equity and access, which focus on :

fairness, inclusivity and representation in dermatology so all people can receive timely, affordable care;
collaboration and integration — to strengthen partnerships between governments, the World Health Organization and other stakeholders to turn global policy into sustainable national action; and
innovation and implementation — using data and technology to close gaps in workforce capacity, diagnosis and treatment across the world.

Dlova, an ILDS board member, told Sunday Times that while there were centres of excellence in major cities, many people, particularly those in rural and low-income communities, faced significant obstacles to receiving timely and effective treatment.