An international study across 136 countries finds that climate change is increasingly affecting the prevalence and severity of skin diseases, with lower-income nations facing the greatest impact.
Key facts
- •The study included representatives from 136 countries and was presented at the 2026 EADV Congress.
- •Overall, 42.6% of participating countries reported changes in the prevalence or severity of skin disease due to climate change.
- •Heat rashes were the most commonly reported climate-associated skin effect, cited by 81.0% of affected countries.
- •Dr. Esther Freeman noted that skin health is often overlooked in climate-health preparedness, despite being a 'front line' to environmental changes.
- •Researchers are calling for improved global surveillance and locally tailored adaptation strategies to address these dermatological risks.
A new study presented at the 2026 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress reveals that over 40% of countries worldwide have observed climate-related changes in skin disease. The research, conducted by the Global Access to Skin Health Observatory, highlights that lower-income nations are disproportionately affected by these shifts. The findings underscore the skin's role as a primary point of contact for environmental changes, including rising temperatures and altered rainfall patterns.
By the numbers
Regional and Income-Based Disparities
The study analyzed data from 136 countries across all four World Bank income groups. Results show that 55.6% of low-income countries and 52.5% of lower-middle-income countries reported climate-related impacts on skin health, significantly higher than the 28.3% reported by high-income nations. Geographic variations were also pronounced, with the Western Pacific Region reporting the highest frequency of changes at 64.7%, while the European Region reported the lowest at 16.1%. In the African Region, 42.9% of respondents indicated uncertainty regarding climate impacts on skin conditions, which researchers suggest points to potential gaps in current surveillance and evidence-gathering systems.
Clinical Impacts and Drivers
Among the 58 countries that identified climate-associated effects, 81.0% reported increases in heat rashes, and 75.9% noted a rise in inflammatory skin diseases. Additionally, 62.1% of these countries reported changes in infectious skin diseases, with half noting shifts in vector-borne conditions. Study author Dr. Esther Freeman explained that higher temperatures and humidity can increase skin irritation, while environmental shifts may expand the habitats of disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes and ticks. Researchers emphasized that lower-income countries often face a 'compounding vulnerability.' These nations frequently experience more extreme weather while simultaneously possessing fewer resources, such as access to dermatologists, medicines, and public health infrastructure, to manage the resulting health risks.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Medical Xpress.
