On the Radiation Safety Authority’s website, you can see how much ultraviolet radiation comes from the sun on a daily basis, via The UV index service. Now the authority is also developing an app, which should be able to be used by the public within a few years.
– We have been tasked by the government to inform the Swedes about the dangers of the sun. The assignment runs until spring 2027, says Marilla Altersten from the Radiation Safety Authority.
Information to prevent cancer
Just over a year ago, the Meteorological Institute SMHI stopped reporting on the UV index, because the institute’s systems were out of date. Responsibility for reporting was transferred to the Radiation Safety Authority.
– SMHI looks at UV radiation from a meteorological perspective. The Radiation Safety Authority’s task is to prevent skin cancer and therefore this falls under our responsibility, says Marilla Altersten.
Increase in skin cancer cases
The need for information about UV radiation is urgent. In Sweden, more cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in relation to the population than in Finland.
The Radiation Safety Authority is also concerned that Swedish young people’s awareness of the risk of skin cancer is low. The authority published a report on the subject earlier this spring.