Over the decades, the Sri Lanka College of Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine (SLCDA) (former Sri Lanka College of Dermatologists) and the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG) have maintained a strong and productive relationship. This deep-rooted connection between Sri Lankan and German Dermatology dates back to the 1980s.

In 1982, late Dr. Gunter Schwenzer, from Hamburg, visited Sri Lanka as a Guest Lecturer following personal friendship with late Dr. W.D.H. Perera. During his visit, he and his Sri Lankan colleagues discussed and compared different training curricula for dermatologists, emphasizing the need to establish training facilities for dermatologists in Sri Lanka. One significant outcome of this discussion was the establishment of a National Association in 1985, “The Sri Lanka Association of Dermatologists”, an event in which late Dr. Gunter Schwenzer participated as a guest and became a founder member of the association.

Another land mark event of this German-Si Lankan collaboration was the organization of the inaugural annual academic sessions of the newly formed Sri Lanka Association of Dermatologists (SLAD) in 1986. This was held as a joint meeting with the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft. The first German participants included Professor E. Christophers, Dr. E. Anderson, and late Dr. G. Schwenzer. The second joint meeting, which took place in 1998, was attended by eight German dermatologists and was also a great success.

Further strengthening the ties, a group of 06 members from Sri Lanka participated the annual academic sessions of DDG in 2007, with the sponsorship from DDG and contributed as resource persons to the meeting.

In Sri Lanka, Dermatology was initially considered a part of Internal Medicine. However, with significant support from DDG, the field was able to carve out a separate future, as a separate post graduate training in Sri Lanka in 2000. The instrumental link to this was the collaboration between late Dr. Gunter Schwenzer and late Dr. W.D.H. Perera. In 2006, the DDG contributed funds to establish an academic unit with a Chair in Dermatology at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Professor Jayamini Seneviratne was the first to hold this full professorship since its inception in 2006 and continues to serve as the liaison officer, fostering strong communication between DDG and the SLCDA.

From the inception of MD Dermatology program, each year a leading German dermatologist visited Sri Lanka (except during Covid pandemic) as guest lecturer for postgraduate trainees. In several occasions expert DDG member contributed as the external examiner in the MD (Doctor of Medicine) Part 2 in Dermatology. Many Sri Lankan postgraduate trainees in Dermatology have pursued training opportunities in Germany over the years. Additionally, in June 2023, a German trainee completed one month observership at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH), fostering hopes for a vibrant exchange program between the two countries in the future. Professor Peter Elsner brought global attention to Sri Lanka by discussing the topic of "Dermatology Training and Specialist Examinations in Sri Lanka: Is It the Best Practice for Europe as Well?" at the Annual Summit of the International Society of Dermatology held in Basel, Switzerland, in October 2023.

The Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG), has donated funds to uplift the standards of dermatology services in Sri Lanka on several occasions. These have been used to uplift the dermatology units and also to purchase essential drugs in the times of financial crisis in the country. Dr. Dieter Reinal was instrumental in getting financial support from the DDG to carry out clinical research in dermatophytosis, an area which has become a great clinical challenge in South East Asia.

Building on this strong partnership, the 2nd International Conference on Tropical Dermatology (ICTD 2026) will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, as a joint academic event by the SLCDA and DDG, from 11th to 13th March, 2026. There is no doubt that this effort will further enhance the trust and friendship between dermatology fraternities in the two countries.