The SunSmart Global UV App helps protect you from the dangers of the sun and promotes public health

A new app for mobile phones that provides localised information on ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels has been launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The SunSmart Global UV app provides five-day UV and weather forecasts at searchable locations. It highlights time slots when sun protection is required with the aim of helping people around the world know when to use sun protection in an effort to reduce the global burden of skin cancer and UV-related eye damage.

The SunSmart Global UV app is available free of charge at both the Apple App and Google Play stores. It provides personalised options so that users can take actions to protect themselves from prolonged, excessive UV exposure, a major cause of skin cancer and other UV-related diseases.

Globally, it is estimated that over 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 across the world lost their lives to this highly preventable disease. One of the main factors contributing to these cancers is excess UV radiation from the thinning of the earth's stratospheric ozone layer resulting from the release of certain manmade chemicals.

Much of the UV-related illness and death can be avoided through a set of simple prevention measures:

• Limit time in the midday sun.

• Seek shade when UV rays are most intense.

• Wear protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses.

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen for sun protection.

• Protecting children from extended periods in the sun is particularly important, as excessive sun exposure during these early years can significantly increase the risk of UV-related diseases later in life.