Enjoying the Sun Safely, c. 2000

Caption

Enjoying the Sun Safely

Summary

This infographic includes a color-coded map of the world that shows the mean annual UV radiation level in 2003 (banded according to Global Solar UV Index). It also shows countries with the highest melanoma incidence rates in 2000.

Legend:

  • UV Index 1-2: No protection required
  • UV Index 3-4-5-6-7: Protection required (“Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap a hat!”)
  • UV Index 8-9-10-11+: Extra protection required (“Avoid being outside during mid-day hours! Make sure you seek shade!. Shirt, sunscreen and hat are a must!”)

A more detailed version of this infographic [1] makes these observations:

  • “The discovery of a hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic in 1985 sounded the alarm. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and other industrial chemicals released into the atmosphere, were destroying the stratospheric ozone, which shields the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.”
  • “Children are most at risk, as exposure to the sun during childhood appears to set the stage for the development of skin cancer later in life.”

Source

Inheriting the World: The Atlas of Children’s Health and the Environment, Part Three: A look to the future. By Bruce Gordon, Richard Mackay and Eva Rehfuess, World Health Organization, 2004.
ISBN 92 4 159156 0.

Copyright

© WHO 2004. All rights reserved.

Series

This map is one in a series: