WHO and ILO warn that working in the sun causes one in three deaths from carcinoma

Almost one in three deaths from carcinomas (skin cancers that are not melanomas) are due to exposure to ultraviolet solar radiation during outdoor work, warns a study from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The joint study published today also finds that exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is the third leading occupational risk associated with cancer deaths.

In 2019 alone, 1.6 billion people of working age (over 15 years) were exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation while working, and almost 19,000 people ended up dying from these skin cancers that are less aggressive than melanoma (the most common are carcinoma basal cell and squamous cell).

Between 2000 and 2019, skin cancer deaths attributable to occupational exposure to sunlight nearly doubled, with an increase in 88%going from 10,088 to 18,960.

Given these “alarming” data, the WHO and the ILO call for more measures to protect workers in dangerous jobs due to their exposure to the sun, in order to prevent the loss of workers’ lives from this type of cancer.

The director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recalled that there are “effective solutions available” to protect workers from the sun’s harmful rays and prevent its deadly effects.

Among the recommendations presented, ILO and WHO ask governmentss “establish, implement and enforce” policies and regulations that provide more shade for workers, avoid midday shifts, and equip workers with sunscreen and protective clothing.

“Depending on where they live, workers have more or less protection, the good news is that many countries are already integrating this data into their monitoring systems”assured the director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health of the WHO, the Spanish María Neira.

According to the report, the regions most affected by these carcinomas are Africa, America and East Asia-Pacific, with rates of between 0.4 and 0.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to the world average of 0. 3 deaths.

WHO, ILO, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program recently launched the global SunSmart UV app that allows outdoor workers to estimate their exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation.

This radiation is measured with the ultraviolet (UV) index, a scale in which a high level of exposure would be between 8 and 10: with a moderate index (between 3 and 5) WHO and ILO already recommend the implementation of protection measures. protection.

In addition to measures to reduce the risks of skin cancer, WHO and ILO also call for providing more services and programs to detect early signs of this disease, which affects the most superficial skin layers and develops more slowly than melanoma. .