Just like every year, the World Vitiligo Day 2019 will be observed across the world on June 25 to build global awareness about vitiligo and to fight misconceptions regarding chronic skin disorder. The event would attempt to bring together all vitiligo fighters so that they can share stories and learn from each other’s vitiligo journey.
Next stop of World Vitiligo Day
This year, World Vitiligo Day (WVD) 2019’s headquarters will be set in beautiful Hanoi, Vietnam. With support from the Vietnamese government and VR Foundation, the National Dermatological University Hospital of Hanoi will organize the event under the supervision of Prof. Nguyen Van Thuong, Chairman WVD 2019.
The international theme of the year is ‘The Quality of Life of a Vitiligo Patient’. A panel of renowned speakers will cover a whole range of topics. Prof. Torello Lotti will speak on the biology of melanocytes while sessions on surgical therapies and novel herbal treatments will be covered by Prof. Davinder Parsad and Prof. Michael Tirant, respectively. To make the mega event a success, many hospital and clinics across Vietnam will host special events for people with vitiligo.
World Vitiligo Day – A Brief History
The first World Vitiligo Day was observed in 2011. The choice of June 25 as an annual event to celebrate vitiligo awareness was a memorial to Michael Jackson, who lived with vitiligo from the early 1980s until his death on June 25, 2009.
| Year | Venue for International Conference |
| 2011 | Lagos, Nigeria |
| 2012 | Rome, Italy |
| 2013 | Detroit, USA |
| 2014 | Chandigarh, India |
| 2015 | Shenyang, China |
| 2016 | Prague, Czech Republic |
| 2017 | Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| 2018 | Worcester , USA |
| 2019 | Hanoi, Vietnam |
Over the years, WVD’s purpose has broadened from raising global awareness to addressing issues of bullying, social discrimination, and psychological trauma. The day can help the world to understand that vitiligo is a skin disorder worthy of attention and federal and local support is needed to normalize vitiligo in a physical appearance-obsessed society.
World Vitiligo Day 2019 in the USA
The 2019 Celebration of WVD in the States will take place between June 21-23 in Houston, Texas. The event, which will be held at the Marriott Town Square located in Sugar Land, will have sessions on medical research and treatment updates, mental and emotional health, and a panel discussion. The panel discussion will promote open dialogue about the social impact of vitiligo.
Reservations can be made online for the event, which is being hosted by the Houston Vitiligo Awareness Movement incorporation with the Global Vitiligo Foundation and V-Strong.
Vitiligo and Mental Health
The World Vitiligo Day 2019, with its national theme “The Journey Starts with ME!”, will will focus on the mental and medical journey of vitiligo. Keeping mental health as the event’s theme reflects growing conversation about the role of mental health in better management or treatment of vitiligo. After all, over the years, several studies have shown that mental stress is related to the activity of vitiligo. Hence, mental health should be discussed with anyone who is having difficulty dealing with his/her vitiligo.
The most difficult part of living with vitiligo is often social and emotional difficulties. Hence, open and honest conversation about the mental impact is essential as vitiligo can affect an individual’s quality of life and overall well-being. Apart from vitiligo fighters, the 2019 celebration is also expected to attract hundreds of vitiligo research advocates, mental health professionals, and dermatologists with expertise in vitiligo care.