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More than 40% of the countries on the planet have reported variations related to climate in the prevalence and/or severity of skin conditions, with an especially intense impact in countries with fewer resources, according to a comprehensive international study conducted in 136 nations.
VIENNA, September 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The research, presented today at the 2026 Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV), invited representatives from the 194 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) to join the Global Skin Health Access Observatory (SkinObservatory), a joint initiative of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty.
Responses were obtained from 136 countries covering the four income levels defined by the World Bank. Overall, 42.6% reported changes in the frequency and/or severity of dermatological diseases associated with climate change, with marked differences according to the income group.
More than half of the low-income countries (55.6%) and lower-middle-income countries (52.5%) reported variations in climate-related skin diseases, compared to 43.8% of upper-middle-income countries and 28.3% of high-income countries.
Regional disparities were also notable: changes were reported most frequently in the Western Pacific Region (64.7%), followed by the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asian regions (60.0% in both cases), compared to the 16.1% recorded in the European Region.
In the African Region, 42.9% of respondents stated they were uncertain about the effect of climate change on skin diseases, suggesting possible gaps in surveillance systems and evidence generation.
Among the 58 countries that detailed the effects of climate change on skin health, 81.0% reported an increase in heat-related rashes and 75.9% in inflammatory skin diseases. 62.1% indicated changes in infectious pathologies and half (50.0%) reported variations in vector-borne diseases.
"The most important discovery of our study is that climate change is already associated with negative impacts on skin diseases, and these effects disproportionately affect low-income populations," explained Dr. Esther Freeman, author of the study. "We often think about the effects of extreme weather on heat stroke, cardiovascular problems, and respiratory diseases, but the skin is our first line of defense against climate change."
"Higher temperatures and humidity can increase sweating and skin irritation, while heat, air pollution, and other environmental exposures can trigger or worsen inflammation. Changes in temperature and precipitation can also affect the habitats of mosquitoes, ticks, and other disease vectors, potentially allowing them to survive in places where they were previously uncommon."
Looking to the future, the research team emphasizes the need to strengthen surveillance, training, and strategies tailored to the local context, with special attention to environments with limited resources.
"We must start to consider skin health as part of climate change preparedness," concluded Dr. Freeman.
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