We need your help! EFA will be developing a new website, and we are seeking in this issue your feedback on what do you need from an EFA website. We are also pleased to share our new project page on the current website, a one stop shop for our diverse and collaborative projects. Atopic eczema remains a strong focus of our work this year and we are continuing to build on the momentum of the Atopic Eczema #BreakTheInvisibleBurden campaign with our community. In February, I spoke at a European Parliament event organised by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) on turning global commitments on skin diseases into EU and national action.

This work will continue in Malta, where we will hold the EFA Annual General Meeting and Community Meeting 2026. We will also bring the Atopical Lives exhibition to Malta and share patient stories through photography, video and testimonies that show the unseen impact of living with atopic eczema. I look forward to continuing this work together and to seeing many of our members soon in Malta for our AGM and Community Meeting!

Warm regards,

Marcia Podestà
EFA President

We are working on a new website and we want to build it with our community and partners in mind from the start. We are collecting feedback on how people use the current website, what is missing and what would make it more useful in everyday work and advocacy. The survey takes just 5–10 minutes and your input will directly help us shape a new website that is relevant and easy to use. Thank you for your help!

EFA launched a new projects page bringing together the work we do to strengthen the voice of people living with allergy, asthma, COPD and atopic eczema across Europe. The page presents both EFA-led initiatives and EU-funded collaborations where EFA brings the patient perspective. Across these projects, EFA works with patients, experts and decision-makers to develop practical tools, training and recommendations that support more patient-centred prevention, care and quality of life.

In March 2026, EFA will bring its community of members together in Malta for the EFA Annual General Meeting and Community Meeting. Organised in collaboration with the Malta Eczema Society, the meeting will be an important moment to reconnect, exchange priorities and continue shaping EFA’s work together. We are also pleased to share that, following its launch in the European Parliament in January, as part of the Atopic Eczema #BreakTheInvisibleBurden campaign, the Atopical Lives exhibition will travel to Malta. The immersive exhibition brings forward the lived realities of people with atopic eczema through photography, video and patient testimonies. Please note this is a closed event for the EFA Community of Members.

On 26 February, EFA President Marcia Podestà spoke at the European Parliament event “More than just skin: Turning global commitments on skin diseases into EU and national action,” organised by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV). The event brought together policymakers and stakeholders, including EFA and our partners from GlobalSkin, to discuss how the World Health Assembly resolution on skin diseases can be turned into action at EU and national level. Building on the momentum of the Atopic Eczema #BreakTheInvisibleBurden campaign, our President highlighted concrete actions the EU can take, from a joint EU action on atopic eczema, to integrating atopic eczema in the EU Non-Communicable Diseases initiative, in the EU Cardiovascular and Mental Health Plans, among others. Marcia also explained the importance of working with our community of members, since the role of national health systems is essential because healthcare happens where patients are.