Strategic Approaches to Reducing the Burden of Atopic Dermatitis in the Middle East and Africa Region

Atopic dermatitis (AD) creates a significant burden on patients and society. This study proposes a set of health policy interventions that can reduce the burden of AD in the Middle East and Africa. We conducted a scoping review to find relevant actions that have been implemented or recommended to decrease AD burden globally. An expert panel was conducted to discuss the review findings, then experts were surveyed to suggest the most efficient actions. Finally, survey results and recommendations were formulated into key actions to reduce the burden in the Middle East and Africa region. Recommended actions were related to 5 domains; capacity building, guidelines, research, public awareness, and patient support and education. Several actions related to each domain can help reduce the burden. One of the most advocated recommendations was investing in patient education through trained healthcare professionals. Understanding the disease and learning how to control it is a key cornerstone to treatment optimization and reducing the burden. Multidisciplinary care, publishing defined therapeutic guidelines, and investing in research were the most recommended actions based on the experts’ discussion and survey results. Although the burden of AD is the highest among dermatological diseases, a well-grounded action plan has the potential to reduce the disease burden. Decision makers may develop a national AD action plan by selecting the most relevant items of this study based on their potential impact, feasibility, timeliness, and affordability. •Atopic dermatitis creates a significant burden on patients and society. Specific policy actions can significantly reduce the direct and indirect costs of atopic dermatitis.•Changing some concepts and applying minor changes in the healthcare system may have a major impact on the patients’ quality of life.•Relevant actions for each county should be chosen from the list of recommendations based on the local settings.