SunSmart’s new global UV app is a serious game changer to combat high skin cancer rates in Victorian men.
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SunSmart Victoria brings new technology to combat skin cancer with the launch of the SunSmart Global UV app which provides daily sun protection advice to Victorians, particularly men who are twice as likely to die from melanoma compared to women.
SunSmart’s transformation of the iconic Slip, Slop, Slap slogan of the 80s into the new SunSmart Global UV app brings together decades of experience of delivering sun protection information to the Australian public.
Supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the app provides worldwide UV levels tailored to each user’s specific location, providing clear guidance on when sun protection is required whether you are working, travelling or being active outdoors.
Current evidence indicates that personal habits in relation to sun exposure constitute the most important individual risk factor for UV radiation damage.
Highest UV
With Australia having one of the highest UV rates in the world and UV capable of causing skin damage to people who spend just 11 minutes outdoors unprotected, the SunSmart Global UV app is a free and innovative solution to bring daily sun protection information no matter where you are in the world.
The 2022 Summer Sun Protection Survey (Life in Australia™) showed that only 54 per cent of Australian adults used weather forecast information to decide whether they needed sun protection, meaning many people are likely unaware of the daily UV level or sun protection times.
Head of Prevention at Cancer Council Victoria, Adjunct Associate Professor Craig Sinclair is urging all Victorians to download the SunSmart Global UV app to identify the UV times of the day that puts them at risk of skin damage.
“We want people to use UV and sun protection times to help guide behaviours, and not to rely on the temperature, as you can’t see or feel UV radiation, the damage is often being done before it is noticed,” Mr Sinclair said.
“The new SunSmart Global app should be everyone’s first step towards improving their protection against UV radiation. Cancer Council Victoria's Victorian Cancer Registry showed skin cancer to be the fifth most common cancer in Victoria.1
“There is strong evidence that most skin cancers and UV-related eye damage are preventable. That is why the SunSmart Global UV app is so important,” Mr Sinclair said.
Developed in partnership with the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), The Bureau of Meteorology (The Bureau) and Deakin University’s Applied Artificial
Intelligence Institute (A2I2), the app provides daily sun protection times as well as a seven-day weather and UV forecast.
The launch of the SunSmart Global app coincides with the delivery of the SunSmart Victoria’s ‘Same Goes for You” campaign, which acts as a reminder to men of the dangers of UV radiation and just how easy it is to use sun protection.
The SunSmart Global UV app is free for download through the Apple and Google Play Stores.
If you would like to learn more about how to protect your skin or for SunSmart sun protection advice visit www.sunsmart.com.au.
About sun protection:
For the best protection during the daily sun protection times, use all five SunSmart steps:
- Slip on clothing that covers as much skin as possible
- Slop on SPF30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen. Apply 20 minutes before going outdoors and re-apply every two hours.
- Slap on a broad-brimmed hat
- Seek shade
- Slide on sunglasses