Global Burden of Atopic Dermatitis: Building a Living Atlas, Evidence Base, and Research Network

Conclusions

• The presentation concludes that atopic dermatitis has major global burden but current epidemiologic data remain patchy, heterogeneous, and especially sparse in regions such as Africa.
• It concludes that a living global atlas with annually updated evidence synthesis is needed to continually quantify prevalence, incidence, and comorbidities.
• It concludes that methodological inconsistency in case ascertainment, severity measurement, and study design limits comparability across studies and must be standardized.
• It concludes that an international consensus on core epidemiologic items is achievable and should guide future burden studies.
• It concludes that digital registers and field studies are a practical way to generate standardized real-world data in countries where evidence gaps are largest.
• It concludes that expanding research beyond high-income settings is essential to understand atopic dermatitis across diverse populations and phenotypes.
• It concludes that multi-omics work may help explain clinical heterogeneity and link biological signatures to different disease presentations and environments.
• It concludes that skin image and language studies can improve understanding of how ancestry and background shape patient descriptions, diagnosis, and engagement.
• It concludes that pregnancy and lactation are under-studied periods in atopic dermatitis care and require dedicated mixed-methods research.
• It concludes that building global capacity through fellowships and collaboration is important for sustaining future atopic dermatitis research.