European Federation of Psoriasis Associations – EUROPSO

Common confidence in the possibilities of a European cooperation led to the foundation of EUROPSO by the psoriasis associations of the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium in 1988. The organisation was registered in Rotterdam. After this, the activities led to launching the annual conferences with themes such as some special type of treatment (e.g. fumaric acid), or the problems of a special group (elderly people, children). In the years that followed, more and more associations became members of EUROPSO. At the beginning of 2004, EUROPSO included, in addition to its founding countries, associations from Spain, Italy, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, and Bulgaria. During these years, the organisation has published circular letters for members and booklets about its conferences; in 1993 ‘Fumaric Acid Compound Therapy’, in 1996 ‘Nursing Psoriasis’. Over a period of 2 years, EUROPSO participated in the Helios 2 programme of the European Commission. Otherwise, financing of the organisation has relied on sponsoring. In 2002, the organisation initiated a wide survey on psoriasis and its treatment in various European countries. The results of the widest study so far concerning psoriatic patients in the world (90,000 patients) throw light on the treatment and situation of patients all over Europe. Publication of the results of the EUROPSO Quality of Life Survey still continues.