Posted on: 12/12/2023 at 5:36 PM
Last modified: 12/12/2023 at 5:40 PM
GGD Kennemerland and GGD Hollands Noorden, together with the Zeeland GGD, will receive more than € 2 million in funding from KWF for a 4-year project for better sun protection. This allows residents of the North Holland coastal municipalities to be better protected against skin cancer. This form of cancer occurs above average along the North Holland coast, as the IKNL Cancer Atlas presented in January showed. KWF is investing a total of €6 million in 10 projects spread across the Netherlands.
“Partly thanks to the Dutch Cancer Atlas, we know that skin cancer is more common in coastal municipalities, where there are more hours of sunshine and stronger sun power,” says Carla van Gils, director of KWF. “This also applies to the North Holland coastal areas. Thanks to this financing, GGD Kennemerland and Hollands Noorden can now work even more intensively on targeted interventions. The aim is that fewer people in this region will develop skin cancer.”
Information, sunscreen and shade
“To prevent skin cancer as much as possible, it is important that North Hollanders are aware of the importance of sun protection and the risks of UV radiation,” says Anke Woudstra, GGD Kennemerland project leader. “We will invest KWF financing in, for example green, shaded play areas, teaching packages for schools and UV-resistant clothing for outdoor workers. We want to ensure that sun protection becomes a daily ritual, just like brushing teeth. We focus particularly on high-risk groups such as children, outdoor athletes and outdoor workers.”
12 GGDs at work
In addition to this project, KWF finances another 9 projects, carried out by a total of 12 GGDs spread across the Netherlands. Four projects focus on quitting smoking, and six on sun protection. The awarded projects are carried out by: GGD Hart voor Brabant, GGD West-Brabant, GGD Brabant-Zuidoost, GGD Flevoland, GGD Fryslân, GGD Hollands Midden, GGD Haaglanden, GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond, GGD Zuid-Limburg and GGD Kennemerland together with GGD Hollands Noorden and GGD Zeeland.
GGD GHOR Netherlands, the trade association of GGDs, is pleased with the financing. André Rouvoet, chairman of GGD GHOR Netherlands: “We will work in places where people are most exposed to cancer risk factors. That is why 10 projects are starting in 12 regions where lung or skin cancer is more common than in the rest of the Netherlands. Prevention is essential here. Close to the people, and goal-oriented. With the KWF project financing, GGDs can do more to prevent lung and skin cancer in their region, in addition to current projects such as Smoke-free environment and the Neighborhood Approach Smoke-free living for everyone. We are very happy with that.”
2023-12-12 16:42:37
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