World Psoriasis Day (WPD) – Interview with the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA)
Director, IFPA
Every year, the global psoriasis community comes together to mark World Psoriasis Day (WPD), which is a global campaign to raise awareness of psoriasis and its impact on the lives of more than 125 million people worldwide.
WPD is coordinated by the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA), an umbrella patient organisation that unites national and regional psoriasis associations around the world and advocates on behalf of people with psoriasis.
Boehringer Ingelheim had the opportunity to talk to Ingvar Ágúst Ingvarsson, Vice President, and Patrik Vuorio, Executive Director, about this year’s WPD campaign, their work at the IFPA and the organisation’s vision for the future.
Q1. The theme for WPD 2019 is ‘Get Connected’. Why did you choose this theme and what do you want it to achieve?
The 2019 campaign theme, ‘Let’s Get Connected,’ is the first step in a three-year campaign leading up to the World Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Conference in 2021. Next year’s campaign theme will be ‘Let’s Get informed,’ followed by ‘Time to be United’ in 2021. Across these three years, we aim to bring people involved in patient advocacy together, educate and inform the public about psoriasis, and galvanise people to take action at a regional level.
In 2019, we want to encourage our member organisations to ‘get connected’ with others – including members of the public, other organisations, healthcare professionals and government officials – to raise awareness of psoriasis. And, more importantly, we want to connect patients with other patients through our broad network.
Q2. Together, you and your member organisations represent the needs of more than 125 million people living with psoriasis worldwide. Please tell us about the different types – and severity levels – of psoriasis.
There are several different types of psoriasis – for example plaque, guttate and inverse psoriasis, and palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP). Psoriasis is also categorised from mild, to moderate to severe. However, regardless of category or severity, the IFPA endorses the view that all patients are entitled to ‘the right treatment at the right time,’ as even mild psoriasis can affect daily life and impact quality of life considerably.
Q3. How important is an accurate diagnosis for patients?
There are different recommended treatments for different types of psoriasis, so a correct diagnosis is very important.
Around 20 or 30 years ago, patients were given the same treatment no matter what sort of psoriasis they had and no matter how severe it was. Today, there are specific treatments for specific types of psoriasis so it is important that the right patient receives the right treatment at the right time.
Early diagnosis is also important so that steps can be taken to try to stop the disease from becoming more severe.
Q4. Ingvar, as someone who has psoriasis, what does a perfect psoriasis treatment look like to you? And what most excites you about medical and scientific advances in psoriasis?
I waited more than 20 years to find the right treatment for me, personally. I went through all the steps – topical, then UV treatment, then oral medication, all the way up to biologics. When I finally got the right treatment for me, it changed my life and my quality of life drastically. I went from near disability to being able to keep on working.
However, I would rather have skipped those 20 years of previous treatments and all the pain I experienced. Therefore, the perfect patient experience would have been to visit a dermatologist, have them do certain tests and, based on those test results, tell me what type of psoriasis I have and the perfect treatment for me.
We are seeing increasingly targeted therapies, and that’s really exciting to me. As I’ve heard leading experts say: “If we have 21st century treatments available to us, then why are we still using 20th century treatments?”
More information about WPD is available on the IFPA website.