From UNEP
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
GENEVA/PARIS, 16 September 2003 - Every year, there are between 2 and 3
million new cases of non-malignant melanomas and more than 130,000 new
melanoma skin cancer cases worldwide(1). An estimated 66,000 deaths occur
annually from melanoma and other skin cancers(2).
The cause of many of these skin cancers is ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the
sun, and children, who are both most vulnerable and most exposed, are
disproportionately affected. In response to the problem, the World Health
Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other
partners in the Intersun Project are launching a set of new educational
materials today. The new package will help children, their families and
educators protect children from the risks of developing malignant and
non-malignant skin cancers, cataracts and other UV-caused conditions. The
materials support recommendations made in "Sun Protection, An Essential
Element of Health-Promoting Schools", a part of the WHO Information
Series on School Health.
"As ozone depletion becomes more marked and as people around the world
engage more in sun-seeking behaviour, the risk of developing health
complications from over-exposure to UV radiation is becoming a substantial
public health concern", said WHO Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-wook at
WHO's Geneva Headquarters.
"Recent scientific findings have shown that the ozone layer is on the
road to recovery, but we must remain vigilant and more needs to be done before
we can say that the problem is solved for good", said Klaus Toepfer,
UNEP's Executive Director. "The phase-out of the ozone depleting
pesticide methyl bromide, combating the illegal trade in CFCs and full
implementation of the Montreal Protocol in developing countries are all issues
that need to be tackled. Only then can we say that the sky above our heads
will be safe for our children and their children to come."
"UV radiation is of particular concern because people are often unaware
of the health risks. The effects of exposure often do not appear until many
years later and over-exposure to the sun poses a risk to all populations, not
just fair-skinned ones", said Dr. Mike Repacholi, Coordinator of WHO's
Radiation and Environmental Health Unit.
To help people around the world become more aware of the risks from exposure
to UV radiation, and to take the measures to prevent over-exposure, the
Intersun Project is today launching a School Sun Protection Package. The
Package comprises three booklets: a guide for schools and teachers on why and
how to develop effective sun education programmes, practical teaching
materials for primary school students, and evaluation materials to assess the
effectiveness of primary school sun-education programmes.
"We know that by reducing over-exposure of children and adolescents to
the sun, we can substantially reduce the risk of contracting skin cancers,
cataracts and other conditions which might only appear much later in life. As
a significant part of a person's lifetime exposure to UV comes before the age
of 18(3), it is obvious that educating children and young people about the
dangers of UV exposure is key to preventing the consequences of this, and
school programmes have been shown to be the most effective way of reaching and
educating children," said Dr. Lee.
"While most of the known melanomas included in the International Agency
for Research on Cancer (IARC) statistics occur in the industrialized world,
this is not necessarily because only fair-skinned populations are affected by
UV radiation. Given adequate reporting mechanisms, we would expect to see many
more melanoma cases originating in developing countries. Moreover cataract
susceptibility has nothing to do with the skin type and people living close to
the equator are most likely to be affected", added Dr. Repacholi.
Cataracts are responsible for more than 8 million Disability-Adjusted Life
Years worldwide(4); a comparative risk assessment to estimate the burden of
disease attributable to UV radiation is currently under way to try and
estimate how many of these cataracts are attributable to sun exposure.
Intersun is a joint project sponsored by WHO, UNEP, the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) and the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation
Protection (see web site: http://www.who.int/uv/). The School Sun Protection
Package documents and further information on are available at the same
website.
The new educational materials are being launched on the occasion of the
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which has as its
theme this year: "Save O3ur Sky: There is a Hole Lot More to Do for Our
Children". More information about this year's Ozone Day is available from
the UNEP Ozone Secretariat at http://www.unep.org/ozone/ozone_day2003/ and
from UNEP's OzonAction team in Paris at http://www.uneptie.org/ozonaction/,
which also includes additional resources for raising awareness among children.
For more information, please contact: Eric Falt, Spokesperson/Director of
UNEP's Division of Communications and Public Information, in Nairobi, on Tel:
+254-2-623292, Mobile: +254-733-682656, E-mail: eric.falt@unep.org, or Robert
Bisset, UNEP Spokesperson for Europe, in Paris, on Tel: +33-1-4437-7613,
Mobile: +33-6-2272-5842, E-mail: robert.bisset@unep.fr
At WHO, please contact Gregory Hartl, Communications Adviser, Geneva:
+41-22-791-4458, E-Mail: hartlg@who.int, Mobile +41-79-203-6715
(1) International Agency for Research on Cancer, Globocan Study, 2000.
(2) World Health Report, 2002.
(3) Wakefield, Bonett, Med J Aus, 1990; Marks, Jolley, Kectsas, Foley, Med J
Aus, 1990
(4) World Health Report 2002
Information Officer for Europe
UNEP
rbisset@unep.fr
Web site:
www.unep.org
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