The SunSmart Global UV app, as it’s called, provides five-day weather and UV forecasts on searchable locations. It highlights the times when the need for sunscreen is with the goal of helping people around the world know when to use sunscreen, in an effort to reduce the global burden of skin cancer and eye damage associated with UV rays.
June 20 –
Today, the World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Environment Program and the International Labor Organization launched a new mobile application that provides local information on UV levels.
The SunSmart Global UV app, as it’s called, provides five-day weather and UV forecasts on searchable locations. It highlights the times when the need for sunscreen is with the goal of helping people around the world know when to use sunscreen, in an effort to reduce the global burden of skin cancer and eye damage associated with UV rays.
The app is also available for free In the Apple app who in google apps a store. It provides customized options so that users can take action to protect excessive and prolonged exposure to UV rays, a major cause of skin cancer and other UV-related diseases.
The application allows the inclusion of national and local data streams and adaptation in multiple languages: it is currently available in Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, Dutch and Spanish.
Evidence suggests that excessive exposure to UV rays is the main cause of skin cancer. So it is essential that people know when and how to protect themselves.” Maria NeraDirector of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organization, calling on everyone “to use the application to protect themselves and their children and make it a daily habit.”
Globally, it is estimated that more than 1.5 million cases of skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma combined) were diagnosed in 2020. During the same period, more than 120,000 people worldwide lost their lives due to this preventable disease. Significantly.
One of the major contributors to these cancers is excess UV radiation due to the thinning of the Earth’s stratospheric ozone layer caused by the release of certain man-made chemicals.
Under the international treaty known as the Montreal Protocol, all UN member states phase out the production and consumption of these substances according to a set schedule. As a result of these ongoing efforts, the ozone level is expected to recover by mid-century.
Skin cancer can result from overexposure to the sun, so it is essential that everyone stay alert and make sure they adequately protect themselves with hats and sunscreen.
Everyone needs some sunlight, especially to produce vitamin D, which helps prevent the development of bone diseases such as rickets, osteomalacia and osteoporosis, but excessive sun exposure, the World Health Organization explains, can be dangerous and deadly, and the summer months hide A real danger. .
The UV application was launched in conjunction with the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere.
“This app combines weather, environment, and health skills to help protect people from the sun both at work and in their spare time. It is unique in that it uses data from nationwide weather and UV measurement stations to provide accurate, location-specific readings of the UV Index” Professor said. Petri TalasSecretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, noting that it is an “excellent example of science in the service of society.”
Most UV-related illnesses and deaths can be avoided with a series of simple prevention measures:
- Set the time in the noon sun
- Look for shade when the UV rays are at their strongest
- Wear protective clothing, hats and sunglasses
- Use a broad spectrum sunscreen
Protecting children from prolonged sun exposure is especially important because excessive sun exposure during these early years can greatly increase the risk of UV-related diseases later in life.
“This app is a useful tool to help companies and workers identify hazardous jobs and plan for safety and health measures. The International Labor Conference adopted a resolution on 10 June recognizing a safe and healthy work environment as a new fundamental principle and the right to work. It is a global call for greater efforts to prevent injuries and diseases associated with the work. Tools such as SunSmart Global UV are a small but useful contribution to this effort.” Vera Beckett BerdigaoDirector of the Department of Governance and Tripartite Structure at the International Labor Organization.
What is UV Index and how does the app workThe application is based on the UV Index, which describes the level of solar ultraviolet radiation at the Earth’s surface. The UV index is reported on a scale from 1 (or “low”) to 11 and above (or “extreme”). The higher the index value, the greater the risk of skin and eye damage and the less time it takes for damage to occur. The maximum UV index is at solar noon when the sun is highest in the sky.
It is recommended to adapt outdoor activities and use sunscreen when the UV index is 3 or higher. The damage caused by UV rays is cumulative, and UV rays can be harmful when people are exposed to it for long periods, even at low levels.
The app strives for worldwide consistency of UV reports and public health messages. Developed by Cancer Council Victoria and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, both WHO collaborating centers in Australia, a similar application has shown better public awareness of UV protection when used. To support a ten-year systematic public health campaign that promotes solar behavior.
The Global Solar UV Index was developed jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and the International Committee for the Protection of Non-Radioactive Radiation. (ICNIRP) and the German Federation Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, BfS) to inform and alert the general public about the potential health risks associated with high levels of solar UV radiation.
June 20 2022
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