Parental Aegis Association for Children against UV Hazards
Chairwoman： Kikuko Matsunari
Cancer Council Australia
SunSmart Program
To Whom It May Concern:
In February of 2018, Parental Aegis Association for Children against UV Hazards （PAC）members， Chairwoman Matsunari and administrator Ms Iseki visited Melbourne Australia, a country known to have one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world. The purpose of the visit was to become familiar with the history, achievements and results of SunSmart, a health promotion program that started in Australia.
In 2005 we established the association to provide information in hopes to protect children from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The main motivation behind founding this association was because Ms Matsunari’s son was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis and was informed by his dermatologist that they must “incorporate measures against UV” in their daily lives.
We realised the harmfulness of UV radiation through the World Health Organisation (WHO) website and that children are especially susceptible and must be protected. From then, to deepen our understanding and knowledge, we not only received guidance from many dermatologists and scientist but also many professionals in the field so that we could produce anti UV clothing.
We want to spread this knowledge and information that we have gathered to as many people in Japan as possible through this association.
What is Australia’s SunSmart Program?
※This section is an introduction of the program to the people of Japan.
Since the destruction of the ozone layer over and around Antarctica was discovered, the onset and diagnosis of skin cancer in Australia was on a steady increase. To combat this, the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria launched the Slip! Slop! Slap! Campaign in the year 1980 leading to the establishment of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth). In 1988, with funding support from VicHealth, Cancer Council Victoria established the SunSmart program．
This program is aimed at different settings including children. Infants and toddlers up to four years of age are particularly vulnerable to UV damage due to lower levels of melanin and a thinner stratum corneum (the outermost layer of skin). UV damage accumulated during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with an increased risk of skin cancer later in life. . A Seagull character mascot is used to familiarise children through animation and song and their “Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide” slogan is a particularly effective method to note. We saw this slogan at a beach in a certain Australia guidebook and realised how thoroughly this message is being communicated to the public.
The program was first introduced in primary schools in Victoria in 1994 and in early childhood services (childcare and preschools) in 1996.. Each level of education is crafted to be straightforward and easy to understand for children. Schools that incorporate this program are registered as a SunSmart member and can appeal to parents that their school “ implements policies and practices to help protect the skin and prevent skin cancer”. In addition, member schools are able to display a SunSmart banner on their school fence and also access free teacher training and curriculum resources.
In order to better understand and observe how this program is being carried out in Australian schools, we asked to visit a local public school in Sydney. The school we visited was Marrickville West Public School. We saw the above slogan affixed to a window and the school principal greeted and took us around to a classroom. In this class, the principal asked the students,
“What do we do to protect against UV?” to which the students immediately raised their hands and answered,
“wear a hat”
“find a shade”
“put on sunscreen”
“drink water” etc.
Some children had “why are you asking this?” written on their faces. When the teacher asked “who told you how to do it?” the children answered that they are taught at school but also from their parents at home. Sun protection education is well established at home, much like brushing your teeth, we felt that children are being taught to naturally take measures against UV.
Two in three Australians will develop some form of skin cancer before the age of 70. I found it inspirational to see the country educating its people through cooperation of media, mascots, effective programs and the educational sector in order to reduce the burden on the health system and to the human body.
At a later date, I visited the Sydney Cancer Council office where they develop policies for the state of New South Wales (NSW). They mentioned that they are now focusing on PR campaigns to raise public awareness among teens and golfers over forty years old.
The Victorian SunSmart Schools Program has been in effect for the past 24 years and currently 90% of Victorian primary schools are members. As a magnificent result of this program, between 1988 and 2011, over 43,000 skin cancers and 1,400 deaths are said to have been prevented in Victoria alone. Since the mid-1990s, melanoma incidence has decreased among Victorians aged under 55, a group who have been exposed to sun protection messages.
Measures against UV in Japan
Japan is believed to be a country that loves the sun and it is difficult to portray the sun in a negative light to the people. Up until 10 years ago, the phrase “a dark, suntanned child is a healthy child” was commonly used. In addition, the instance of skin cancer diagnosis is considerably lower than in Australia so a case of skin cancer or melanoma is very rare. However, women’s focus and awareness of beauty and youth of their skin is an interesting characteristic.
Our association has appealed for the necessity of measures against UV for children to the public for over 10 years and in recent years, the idea has become familiar and we see more awareness published on magazines and newspapers. Moreover, closer to spring time, intensity of UV rays and measures to protect against UV are broadcasted.
At PAC, we would like to implement a sun protection program unique to Japan, based on considerations that public views on UV radiation, skin types and environment are different compared to Australia. Instead of focusing on communicating UV protection measures as a way to prevent skin cancer, we would like to promote UV protection as a way to prevent deterioration of the immune system and photoaging (its adverse effects), topics of more interest to the Japanese population. Further, as a first point of implementation, we would like to target UV protection for children while considering PR methods to appeal to different demographics. We are considering separating the demographic into six generations; infants, children, teens, women, men and the elderly. We will first think about what kind of educational program is necessary for children ranging from Kindergarten to primary school. We have also started to approach schools, regions and the government.
About Japan’s UV radiation and UV protection measures
Brief history of PAC
June 2005 – The Parental Aegis Association for Children against UV Hazards (PAC) was formed by a group of mothers, backed by Peekaboo Co. Ltd. The purpose of this association was to become a hub for information in UV protection measures and UV radiation awareness.
July 2005 – The PAC website launches.
April 22, 2007 – Dermatologists, scientists and various heads of groups promoting UV protection measures throughout the country gathered and held a symposium in Tokyo. Every year, we receive newspaper and media coverage on children’s UV protection measures, hold a lecture, and talk about the importance and necessity of these measures. We thought of establishing our presence in the education sector and made a suggestion but were unsuccessful due to the difficulties associated with changing the system. Since public primary school education was decided to be too difficult, we started by approaching private kindergartens.
July 2018 – Proposals of UV radiation protection measures in educational facilities was pace in the Saitama prefecture council meeting and the proposal was passed. This is the first case of UV radiation protection measure being taken on by a prefecture and the first steps are about to take place. The PAC are planning to be involved in this process
We hope for UV protection to be incorporated into school’s education curriculums much like the Australian SunSmart program.
The future outlook of PAC
The PAC has been independently proposing measures against UV for 13 years. The 5 measures we have been promoting in the form of a slogan is:
1. Let’s think about what time we go outside
2. Let’s find shade
3. Let’s wear a wide brimmed hat
4. Let’s wear UV protective wear
5. Let’s put on sunscreen
Since the people of Japan didn’t have a negative view of the sun previously, we have had to start by promoting awareness of the damaging effects of UV radiation. By advocating for UV protective measures over the last 13 years, we are seeing a shift in public’s perspective and understanding of the importance in UV protective measures, especially in children.
Plans from now
When we initially established PAC, we thought that the WHO’s message of the necessity of anti-UV measures for children was very direct, concise and easy to understand. At the above-mentioned symposium, we presented a translated version of “SUNPROTECTION” (approval from the WHO granted). However the SunSmart program has been implementing this public awareness and education program from long before. We hope to be able to create a program much like SunSmart that educates people about UV radiation and countermeasures against it to protect ourselves. Currently, the PAC hold informative educational programs at kindergartens and other facilities teaching children about the necessity of UV protection.
From now, we aim to:
- Take the appropriate approach in introducing a sun protection program to Japan.
- Use expert advice from dermatologists, scientists and the like to consider UV measures that can easily and seamlessly be introduced to the daily lives of Japanese people.
- Come up with and advocate 5 key UV care actions with consideration of what is necessary for Japanese skin types.
- Establish a UV protection routine specific to different generations and back it up with medical evidence and reasoning.
- Create a mascot character.
- Gain support from television and other media outlets in promoting UV protection.
- Utilising our connection with the Saitama prefecture council, broaden our advocacy to the rest of Japan.
- Communicate the importance and benefits of the sun protection program to Japan as a country.
- Create a PAC original sun protection program and make efforts to be able to implement these in all education curriculums.
- Produce UV protective wear (for school use) together with the EPOCHAL brand and promote it to the Japanese Association of School Health.
- Introduce Australian UV protective products to Japan.
- Report activities to the WHO.
The SunSmart program is an excellent textbook for us to learn from and its effectiveness and accomplishments are what we aim for. We hope that we can collaborate with and receive various advices from the Australian Cancer Council and SunSmart program as we endeavor on the above mentioned activities. Furthermore, we will continue to report our activities and any results that come out of them jointly to WHO and Cancer Council Australia.
We hope to continue our work towards creating UV awareness and protective measures in Japan and hope to be able to receive guidance from you in the coming future.
Parental Aegis Association for Children against UV Hazards (PAC)
Chairwoman Kikuko Matsunari
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