World Vitiligo Day - 25 June 2024, Theme, History, and Importance

Every year on 25th June, World Vitiligo Day is observed with the aim of increasing the effort for vitiligo healthcare and education and raising awareness of the social stigma and mental challenges faced by those affected by vitiligo.

Vitiligo, a skin disorder in which the skin cell melanocytes that produce melanin are destroyed by the body's immune system, causing the skin to lose its colour and resulting in whitish, smooth patches on the skin. Vitiligo is a rare disease which can occur in about 1% or a little more of the population throughout the world. It can happen to all genders and ethnic groups and generally affects the age group between 20 and 30.

History & Significance of World Vitiligo Day

The first World Vitiligo Day was organised in 2011 by the non-profit organisations VR Foundation (USA) and VITSAF (Nigeria) and their supporters around the world with a resolution to create awareness about this unrecognised disease and its impact on the vitiligo-affected people.

Its primary focus was to highlight the challenges and create awareness. The day - 25th June, was chosen by Yan Valle, CEO of "The Vitiligo Research Foundation", to commemorate the death of Michael Jackson with an idea to have a day dedicated to vitiligo awareness.

Over the period, its purpose has expanded, and a steady effort is made every year to recognise 25th June as "World Vitiligo Day" by the United Nations to provide this campaign with a wider platform to reach and create awareness throughout the globe. 

World Vitiligo Day - Theme and Slogan 2024

This year, 2024, the theme for World Vitiligo Day is "United by the Skin" or "Unidos Por La Piel". This year, the campaign headquarters is lighting up in the vibrant city of Cali, Colombia, under the honorary presidency of Dr. Claudia Arenas and General Secretary Dr. Adriana Cruz, with enthusiastic backing from the Mayor's Office.

Year by year, the previous themes for World Vitiligo Day are: 

• World Vitiligo Day 2023 theme: Vitiligo: Looking into the Future
• World Vitiligo Day 2022 theme: Learning to Live With Vitiligo
• World Vitiligo Day 2021 theme: Embracing Life with Vitiligo
• World Vitiligo Day 2020 theme: SELF: Awareness, Love, Respect, Care."
• World Vitiligo Day 2019 theme: The Mental and Medical Journey of Living with Vitiligo – The Journey Starts with Me!
  

What are the causes of vitiligo?

The absolute cause of vitiligo is not known, but ongoing research on this autoimmune condition (in which the triggered immune system strikes its own tissues) is trying to find evidence of why melanocytes die. Results of a few studies yielded assumed that genetics is to be the reason to some extent.

What are the risk factors of vitiligo?

Some of the known factors that could be the cause of vitiligo are:

• Autoimmune Disorder: This is a condition in which the affected person's immune system may produce antibodies that destroy the melanocyte.
• Genetic factors: Inheritance could be one of the factors that could lead to the cause of vitiligo. Around 30% of the affected have a history of vitiligo presence in their family.
• Neurogenic Factors: There is a chance of releasing toxins at nerve endings in the skin, which can destroy melanocytes.
• Self-Destruction: a defect within the melanocytes can lead to self-destruction

What are the symptoms of vitiligo?

The main symptom of vitiligo is the loss of pigment that occurs in any part of the body. The other symptoms can include:

• Premature whitening of the hair on the head, eyelashes, eyebrows, or beard
• Itching in the affected area
• Discolouration of the mucous membranes (tissue that lines the inside of your mouth and nose)
• Loss or discolouration of the inner lining of the eyeball (retina)
  

Vitiligo treatment options

There are various treatment options available for vitiligo, but unfortunately, there is no cure. Some available Vitiligo treatments are:

• Camouflage therapy
• Repigmentation therapy
• Light therapy
• Surgery

Department of Dermatology