Co-organizer of the multi-stakeholder Skin Cancer Summit is the renowned dermatologist Prof. Swen Malte John from Osnabrück University. The UN institutions WHO (World Health Organization) and ILO (International Labour Organization) are also involved, as they attach high priority to the topic.

Current estimates by the WHO and the International Labor Organization (ILO) assume that working in the sun is responsible for one in three deaths from "white" skin cancer worldwide and that the number of cases is rising sharply. Preventive measures such as shading, avoiding being outdoors at lunchtime, protective clothing and sun cream are therefore essential to protect the skin in professions that are predominantly outdoors. However, "white" skin cancer is often underestimated, which makes the need for education and prevention - especially in an occupational context - all the more necessary. "We urgently need to protect employees from this chronic photodamage, which so often occurs in outdoor workplaces. Once acquired, they follow sufferers for the rest of their lives," says Prof. John. In view of climate change, it can be assumed that this situation will continue to worsen. For this reason, it is crucial that prevention efforts are intensified - especially for the large risk group of outdoor workers.

The summit will focus primarily on improvements to occupational health and safety and early detection, with a particular focus on: "Now that Switzerland, Romania, Belgium and Austria have recently recognized skin cancer caused by the sun as an occupational disease, it is time for Greece to join them," says John.

Further information for editorial offices:
Prof. Dr. med. Swen Malte John, Osnabrück University
Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine, Health Theory and
Institute for Interdisciplinary Dermatological Prevention and Rehabilitation
 johnderm@uni-osnabrueck.de