LAUSR

Dermatologists gathering in Milan, Italy for the 24th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) in June 2019 will be marking the 130th anniversary of the first international meeting of our specialty that originally took place in Paris, France in 1889. Since then, and with interruptions only because of two world wars, the WCD has run continuously, and now takes place every 4 years at a site selected by members of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS). The ongoing and robust attendance of over 10 000 delegates at each WCD confirms the enduring value of face-to-face meetings with colleagues from around the world, even in an era when ubiquitous handheld electronic devices allow us to communicate instantaneously with each other through text, voice, images and video. Each WCD is hosted by a national dermatological society and features presentations and knowledge exchange on a global scale with a commitment to involving young dermatologists through scholarships and ‘rising star’ speakers. For many dermatologists the WCD is the most familiar activity undertaken by the ILDS because of this historical precedence and tradition. The ILDS was officially established in 1935 during the 9th International Congress of Dermatology (now the WCD, since 1992) in Budapest, Hungary, when dermatology leaders from around the world decided to establish an organization that would ensure the furtherance of international communication and collaboration. The modern ILDS has evolved into a federation of 177 member societies from 82 countries that collectively represents more than 200 000 dermatologists worldwide. Officially, the ILDS is headquartered in London as a registered charitable organization for the purpose of promoting skin health for the world. Beyond this basic ideal, the true value of the ILDS extends from being a self-proclaimed international body to a multifaceted organization that conducts meaningful and relevant activities to benefit patients afflicted with skin diseases. Although all dermatological societies share a fundamental mandate, the ILDS is uniquely structured and positioned to influence, harmonize and assert a perspective for our discipline that is explicitly global. To this end the ILDS has been likened to a ‘United Nations’ for dermatology, and it is broadly empowered by its member societies, which in turn comprise national, regional and subspecialty organizations. Unlike most dermatological organizations, ILDS ‘members’ are not individual dermatologists, although the ILDS depends critically on the energies of individuals from its component societies to fulfil its mission. ILDS members elect dermatologists on a regional and at-large basis to serve on its board of directors to oversee its day-to-day activities. Countless other dermatologists contribute to a broad range of ILDS projects around the world (Table 1), several of which are collaborations with or recognized priorities of the World Health Organization (WHO). The ILDS has established and maintains official relations status with the WHO in order to represent the needs of dermatology patients. In 2018, the WHO’s launch of the preimplementation version of the 11th International Classification of Diseases, ICD-11, included skin diseases that were vetted and defined by dermatologists working under the auspices of the ILDS. This was the first time ever that the ICD design directly involved dermatologists, and this engagement ensures that this international standard reflects the precision and scope required for dermatological resource planning and epidemiological research. The ILDS has committed to establishing an online resource that will feature peer-reviewed reference images from dermatologists to complement and illustrate each specific ICD-11 skin disorder. The ILDS also actively contributes to three other key WHO areas that incorporate dermatology: the essential medicines list, neglected tropical diseases, and occupational and work-