Global Dermatology Study Revealed Access Gaps
A study published in August 2026 found that only 17% of surveyed countries meet international standards for skincare access.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Beauty
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Researchers surveyed dermatology leaders across 158 countries between August 2024 and October 2025 to measure global access to skin care. The study, published on August 26, 2026, found that nearly 80% of dermatologists are concentrated in urban areas while nine countries have no specialists at all.
Why it matters
The findings highlight severe geographic and economic disparities in healthcare, revealing a global mean of only 2.66 dermatologists per 100,000 people. Assessing these training and staffing levels is a critical step in addressing the systemic lack of professional skin care for the majority of the world population.
The global mean density of dermatologists is 2.66 per 100,000 people, ranging from 0.37 in low-income nations to 5.05 in high-income countries. Researchers analyzed data from 158 nations to determine that only 17% of those surveyed satisfy criteria for adequate dermatologic care.
The players
JAMA Dermatology
This is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association that covers clinical and scientific research in the field of skin health.
The details
The research utilized a 47-question survey distributed to leaders in 197 countries to document workforce density and training availability. To combat shortages, the study advocates for task shifting, a model where medical specialists train broader workforces to deliver essential care in regions where dermatologists are scarce.
Timeline
The survey was conducted globally from August 2024 through October 2025.
The findings were published online in JAMA Dermatology on August 26, 2026.
Culture Shift
The findings reflect a broader shift toward quantifying global health equity, moving away from anecdotal observations of physician shortages toward standardized metric-based assessments. This study updates the baseline figures previously established by the JAMA Dermatology global dermatology workforce study.
The findings suggest that individuals in low-income regions face significant hurdles in accessing specialized skin care compared to those in high-income urban centers. This disparity underscores the necessity for local community health models that integrate task-shifting to broaden access for those currently without a dermatologist.
The takeaway
Access to specialized dermatology remains highly unequal, with the vast majority of professionals clustered in urban and high-income environments. Future progress in global skin health may rely on the expansion of task-shifting models to empower a wider range of healthcare providers.
What happens next
Researchers are planning a subsequent research phase that will focus on mapping patient-level access to dermatologic care.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by Medscape.
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