Years of Work Results in Win: D.C. Releases First-Ever Psoriasis Public Health Agenda

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led collaborative efforts among clinical, biomedical and public health experts to develop the first-ever public health agenda for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, giving federal recognition to millions of Americans living with these diseases. In 2009, after a multiyear advocacy campaign by National Psoriasis Foundation advocates and leaders, Congress allocated $1.5 million to the CDC to commence the first-ever government data collection effort on psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Through extensive collaboration, the coalition created a list of priorities, needs and unanswered questions in psoriatic disease research. The agenda clearly states the need for research into basic questions, such as the age at which psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis appear, how the diseases start and develop over time, and possible differences in how they affect certain groups, such as younger versus older people.