Global Disparities in Access to Dermatological Care: the Skin Health Observatory

作者：Esther E. Freeman, Joseph M. Yardman-Frank, Jennifer Kilmer, Ann Pacheco, Karry Su, Devon E. McMahon, Christine Li, Sarah Anwar, Kathryn Barger, Yiqi Qian, Alexis G. Strahan, Simon Westby, Ramesh Bhat, Mahira El Sayed, Wendemagegn Enbiale, Cristina Galván-Casas, Xinghua Gao, Srie Prihianti Gondokaryono, Abdul Ghani Kibbi, Adriene Lee, Fatimata Ly, J. Ocampo-Candiani, Marie-Aleth Richard, Ricardo Romiti, Henry W. Lim, Junko Takeshita, Delphine Kérob, B. Chuberre, Guénolée de Lambert, Lucinda Fuller, Christopher E.M. Griffiths, Ncoza C. Dlova · 发表于：medRxiv · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.64898/2026.02.06.26345759 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Cutaneous Melanoma Detection and Management、Dermatological diseases and infestations、Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Studies

Abstract Background Skin disease affects 4.7-4.9 billion individuals globally; however, little is known about access to dermatological care. Methods We conducted a multinational, cross-sectional survey of dermatological care across 194 WHO member states and three additional geographic areas in 2024-2025. Primary outcomes included dermatologist density per 100,000 population and number of dermatologists globally. Secondary outcomes included training programme density, workforce distribution, perceived access to care, and health system characteristics. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests compared outcomes across World Bank Income (WBI) levels and WHO regions. Findings Responses were obtained from 158 countries. Mean dermatologist density was 2.66 per 100,000, ranging from 0.37 in low-income (LICs) to 5.05 in high-income countries (HICs). There are estimated 175,633 dermatologists globally (95% CI: 173,598-177,668). Forty-two percent of countries reported inadequate or extremely poor access to dermatological care. There was significant variation (p < 0.001) in access to all types of subspecialty care (paediatric, surgical, dermatopathology) across WBI levels, with consistently worse access in lower-income countries. Dermatologists are primarily based in urban centres (79%). Twenty-one percent of countries lack dermatology training programs, with training varying by WBI level (p < 0.001). Non-dermatologist healthcare workers bear a substantial responsibility for ...