Three global health organizations are joining forces to launch the Global Psoriasis Atlas (GPA), the first-ever worldwide database on psoriasis.

The GPA project comes in response to the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Report on psoriasis which highlighted how the current lack of psoriasis data contributes to the suffering caused by the disease. The GPA partnership comprises the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA), the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and the International Psoriasis Council (IPC).

By detailing the disease prevalence and incidence worldwide, the GPA will enable global comparisons between countries and across time. The GPA will evolve to provide data on the burden of psoriasis, including societal costs, comorbid diseases and patients’ access to treatment.

Phase 1 of the GPA project will comprehensively review the available psoriasis literature and data to compile a global epidemiological overview. Phase 2 of will work out a rigorous methodology and set criteria for future psoriasis epidemiological work. Together, these phases will establish the GPA as the definitive real-time record of psoriasis epidemiology worldwide.

According to WHO, published studies on psoriasis prevalence vary markedly in their estimate, citing figures as low as 0.09 percent or as high as 11.4 percent. Current psoriasis data are derived from 20 countries. This limited sample obscures the situation in low and middle-income settings. Previous psoriasis studies also often lacked a standardized case-definition or methodology. As a result, current knowledge on psoriasis’ global severity and spread remains limited.