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ESSENTIAL VITILIGO PAPER PRESENTED AT EU PARLIAMENT

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Essential vitiligo paper presented at EU parliament

 Posted on 28th January 2025  2 minute read

On 15th January 2025 an ‘essential’ vitiligo White Paper was presented by the Vitiligo International Patient Organisations Committee (VIPOC) to the European Union Parliament in Brussels.

What is the Vitiligo International Patient Organisations Committee (VIPOC)?

Founded in 2018, VIPOC is the worldwide alliance of vitiligo patient organisations of which The Vitiligo Society is a member representing patients from the UK.

What is the Vitiligo White Paper?

Now available online, this new White Paper pulls together a comprehensive look at what it means to live with vitiligo within Europe. The paper represents a unique and original collaboration, bringing together expertise and experience from health professionals and patient representatives to produce policy recommendations on a European scale. It has been designed with the aim of addressing ‘the crucial issues of vitiligo today’.

The paper provides an update on scientific studies and alarming healthcare findings on a European scale including:

In addition to these statistics, the paper highlighted that the impact of vitiligo is far beyond that of manifesting in a visible difference, it delved into the significant social and psychological impacts of the condition as well – the elements that cannot be treated with creams or phototherapy.

Why is this important and what does it mean for the vitiligo community?

Representatives from VIPOC explain the significance of the paper:

The White Paper aims to bridge that gap by unifying key insights from dermatologists, researchers, and individuals around the world who live with vitiligo. The presentation of the paper on this stage included an audience of four Members of the European Parliament; a representative from the European Commission; a representative from the World Health Organization; and several parliamentary assistants. It provided an important platform to communicate the importance of policymakers, researchers, and everyday people to have accurate, up-to-date information on vitiligo.

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