The 2 United Nations (UN) agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) jointly released research in the journal Environment International, estimating that approximately 1 in 3 non-melanoma skin cancer deaths are attributed to occupational sun exposure.
- The joint release highlights the burden caused by non-melanoma skin cancer due to occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation
- It also underscores the need for implementing better preventative measures.
Non-melanoma skin cancer:
It is a group of cancers that develop in the upper layers of the skin. This cancer’s 2 main subtypes are basal and squamous cell carcinoma.
About the Release Estimates:
i.The estimates of the release are based on the WHO report The Effect of Occupational Exposure to Solar UV Radiation on Malignant Skin Melanoma and Non–melanoma Skin Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO joint estimates of the work-related Burden of Disease and injury.
ii.The report, reveals a significant increase in the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer associated with such exposure.
iii.Risk Estimate: Occupational UV exposure is linked to a substantial 60% increase in the risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer.
- The risk estimate is based on a comprehensive analysis of 25 case-control studies involving 286,131 participants from 22 countries across three WHO regions.
iv.The WHO and ILO collected extensive data, comprising 166 million data points from 763 surveys across 96 countries and regions, covering all 6 WHO regions.
Note: This data was collected between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2021.
Analysis of the joint estimates:
i.According to joint estimates, 1.6 billion people of working age (15 years or older) faced solar UV radiation at their workplaces in 2019, contributing to 28% of the global workforce.
- The year 2019 witnessed nearly 19,000 fatalities across 183 nations due to non-melanoma skin cancer resulting from outdoor work. Notably, a significant 65% (majority) were male.
ii.Occupational exposure to solar UV radiation ranks as the 3rd highest work-related risk factor for cancer deaths worldwide.
iii.Skin cancer deaths from occupational sunlight exposure nearly doubled between 2000 and 2019, rising by 88% from 10,088 to 18,960 deaths.
Note: The term “working age” typically refers to the minimum legally permissible age for employment (typically 15 years in many countries).
Proactive Measures:
WHO recommends several measures to protect outdoor workers. Some of them are:
- Government Policies and Regulations
- Sun Protection Measures
- Ultraviolet Index Guidelines
Note: Protective measures should be taken when the UV index, a measure of skin-damaging UV radiation, reaches level 3 or higher.
SunSmart Global UV App:
WHO, in collaboration with the ILO, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has launched the SunSmart Global UV App.
- This app empowers outdoor workers to estimate their exposure to solar UV radiation.
Recent related news:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) released the “WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2023: Protect People from Tobacco Smoke”, the 9th report in the series that tracks the status of the tobacco epidemic and intervention to combat it. The report monitors countries’ progress in tobacco control since 2008 and also marks 15 years since the introduction of MPOWER, the WHO’s technical package which is designed to assist countries in implementing demand-reduction measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director-General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Established on– 7 April 1948
