World Psoriasis Day 2020

INFORMED

On October 29, 2020, we celebrated the 16th annual World Psoriasis Day. This year’s theme was INFORMED. When IFPA developed the campaign, we felt called to emphasize the importance of credible, abundant, and new information for the best treatment of psoriatic disease.

People living with these chronic inflammatory illnesses are further burdened by the necessity of sifting through unreliable, and sometimes predatory information before arriving at reliable resources that can truly help. IFPA and our members are devoted to making the journey simpler. Furthermore, the psoriatic disease community hosts a wealth of knowledge and best practices with regards to treatment, support, advocacy, and many other diverse topics. World Psoriasis Day was the perfect opportunity to highlight these assets for the benefit of patient organizations everywhere.

Finally, research into new treatments and better systems are critical for both health care professionals and policy advocates to achieve the high standards we all hope for. Good information supports us all.

Psoriasis. Be informed.

What we could not have predicted when we designed the 2020 campaign was the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty about the possible impact of COVID-19 on people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis highlighted the urgency of reliable, helpful information. Lockdowns and isolation orders changed the shape of our regular World Psoriasis Day activities. Grief and anxiety made mental health burdens heavier.

At the same time, we discovered new opportunities to maximize World Psoriasis Day. We transformed the campaign into a digital one, which allowed us to connect globally more than ever. Webinars, videos, infographics, websites, and apps offered beautiful solutions to transmit the information we praised. In the end, our global campaign was changed, and in many ways enhanced by the special circumstances.

Our message was heard.