The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has teamed up with the Bureau of Meteorology and Cancer Council Victoria to help reduce the number of people across the world who develop skin cancer.
Chief Radiation Health Scientist at ARPANSA, Rick Tinker said the Agency was sharing its data for the new SunSmart Global UV app, which used a unique weather data algorithm to create UV forecasts for anywhere in the world.
Dr Tinker said APRANSA operated a network of UV radiation detectors in major Australian cities and in the Australian Antarctic territories.
“We are proud to share data and expertise to contribute to this important initiative,” Dr Tinker said.
“We know in Australia how valuable it is to provide accurate UV levels to people based on their geographical location,” he said.
“The new SunSmart Global UV App means the knowledge we have gained in Australia can now be shared internationally to a much wider audience.”
The new app was developed by Cancer Council Victoria in partnership with Deakin University.
Dr Tinker said research from 2019 estimated that around 6.7 million cases of skin cancers were diagnosed globally, and more than 118 thousand people around the world lost their lives to skin cancer in the same year.
“Evidence shows that personal habits in relation to sun exposure, including sunscreen use, clothing choice and time spent outdoors, are the most important individual risk factors for UV radiation damage,” he said.
Dr Tinker said the SunSmart Global UV app was available for free in the Apple App and Google Play stores.
