Kevin Jonas shares skin cancer diagnosis: Is climate change exacerbating the problem?
Jonas brother Kevin Jonas has skin cancer. The prominent musician recently took to Instagram to reveal his skin cancer diagnosis. He captioned a clip of himself before and after the procedure: “Friendly reminder to get your moles checked.”
At the beginning of the video, Jonas can be seen lying down for the selfie video. He said: “So today I’m getting a basal cell carcinoma removed from my head.” “Yes, that is an actual little skin cancer guys,” he said, positioning the camera closer to the location of the abnormality.
Mayo Clinic says basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that “begins in the basal cells” or a type of cell that produces new skin cells as old ones die. It “often appears as a slightly transparent bump on the skin, though it can take other forms,” the organisation added.
Skin cancer and climate change: Is there a link?
Cases of skin cancer are at a record high. Damage to the skin from UV radiation can last months, and builds up over time to increase cancer risk. The increase in cases signals an urgent need to reassess the factors contributing to this public health crisis.
It is impossible to talk about skin cancer and not make any mention of climate change, right? Rising temperatures, depletion of the ozone layer and increased sun exposure are among the rising number of threats to human health and wellbeing.
Critical shortages of sunscreen and insufficient access to early screening and treatment in several parts of the globe are leaving millions of people vulnerable to a large preventable disease. More needs to be done to mitigate the impact of skin cancer.
Ensuring affordable access to sunscreen products
Climate change has turned into one of the greatest threats to humanity. It has been elevating temperatures in different countries to unprecedented levels and triggering natural disasters such as storms and floods of much higher intensities.
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has been regularly monitoring atmospheric fluctuations. It confirmed 2023 as the hottest year ever and, later on, said the same for the first five months of 2024. The situation has never been this precarious.
Initiatives to ensure affordable access to sunscreen products need to be prioritised. Dermatologists have been voicing concerns about the high cost of sunscreen. Governments should start removing tax on sunscreen to increase affordability and use.
