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Our Foundation

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Our Foundation

The International Foundation for Dermatology (IFD) was created in 1987 by the ILDS to improve skin health in areas of low resource. It supports projects all over the world including Africa, Asia Pacific and South America. The IFD is critical to helping ILDS achieve its goal of ‘Skin Health for the World’.

In 2024 alone, the IFD is distributing $ 500,000 in funding and worked with a global network of partners to support skin health initiatives in low-resource areas worldwide that are available, accessible and effective for all patients, regardless of ethnicity, disability or social background. Key projects include the Regional Dermatology Training Centre in Tanzania and the Community Skin Health journal, as well as Grants Programmes supporting projects across 14 countries, spanning Africa, North America, South America, and Asia.

Grant Programmes

The IFD awards DermLink Grants annually, DermImpact Grants bi-annually and Strategic Innovation Grants.

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Networks & Organisations

The IFD closely works with networks and organisations such as GLODERM, IACS, Standing Voice, NNN-SCCG

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Working Groups

The IFD has established these groups to focus on particular challenges in skin healthcare in underserved areas. Currently, the two main working groups are the Migrant Health Working Group and the Working Group for People with Albinism (PWA)

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Training & Education

The Regional Dermatology Training Center (RDTC) and the Community Skin Health Journal (CSH) are two core initiatives the IFD has been heavily involved in to support training and education for healthcare workers in underserved regions of the world.

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Learn more about the IFD and its initiaves

The vision of the IFD is to achieve: "Skin health services in low-resource areas are available, accessible and effective for all patients, regardless of ethnicity, disability or social background."

Claire Fuller_square headshot

Together with our Members, Partners and project leaders, we work to deliver projects that have a meaningful impact on the lives of dermatology patients around the world, particularly those in under-served communities Dr Claire Fuller, IFD Chair

IFD Principles

Learn more about the IFD's principles, as well as our vision and mission

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Drawing on the expertise of ILDS Members, Partners and networks, the IFD aims to improve skin health and reduce skin health inequalities in low-resource areas through dermatological education and training, global health partnerships and the influencing of policy.

Highlighting two of the IFD's collaborations:

RDTC

The Regional Dermatology Training Centre (RDTC) in Moshi, Tanzania, is a supra-regional training, research and clinical centre. It provides care to dermatological patients and training to medical Assistants and Clinical Officers.

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GLODERM

Connecting dermatologists to advance skin health in resource-limited communities, locally and globally, through sustainable and integrated approaches to clinical care, education, research, policy, and advocacy.

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