Yesterday marked the launch of a sun awareness campaign in which Australian cricket legend, Steve Waugh, AO, and his wife Lynette, urged people across NSW and Queensland to check for unusual spots in the lead up to summer.

Along with Steve and Lynette, VIVA! joined forces with Blooms The Chemist to raise awareness about this devastating disease.

Overwhelmingly, Australia has the world’s highest skin cancer rates, as Steve explains, “If you’re not educated, you’re at risk of the dangers of skin cancer.”

Overall, Queensland has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with 3,000 melanoma and 133,000 non-melanoma skin cancers diagnosed each year. Meanwhile, in NSW, the past decade has shown men are 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma than women, with the most recent stat revealing 3,700 melanoma diagnoses in one year.

‘Sun Awareness Clinic – Skin Cancer SpotChecks’ are being run at Blooms The Chemist pharmacies up until early December 2014 and are aimed at increasing public awareness of the dangers of skin cancer, reinforcing the importance of early detection.

According to Steve, an early detection tool is a good starting point to educating oneself and having a general overview of what to look out for regularly.

VIVA!’s Principal, Kirsten Bruce, was star-struck when meeting the Australian cricket legend while accompanying him to his live-to-air national interview at Channel 9 studios in Sydney.

Also interviewed by Radio 2SM Sydney’s Gavin Robertson, says “Blooms’ Sun Awareness Clinics are really about raising awareness, because [melanoma] is a major issue in Australia [particularly Queensland and NSW]

“Many Australians don’t get checked until an issue arises and the melanoma is advanced. The reason for these clinics is for early detection of melanoma,” said Steve.

“Melanoma is a major problem going forward and we really want to educate as many people as possible, particularly young kids. One way of doing it is by going to your local Blooms The Chemist and getting checked out.”

In addition to establishing the Steve Waugh Foundation and Steve and Lynette’s dedication to rare diseases, the couple are ambassadors for Blooms The Chemist and their Sun Awareness Clinic – Skin Cancer SpotChecks, aimed at increasing public awareness of the dangers of skin cancer and reinforcing the importance of early detection.

The Sun Awareness Clinic – Skin Cancer SpotChecks are being run throughout major metropolitan and regional areas of QLD.

To locate your local Blooms The Chemist Sun Awareness Clinic, or for further information, head to: www.blooms.net.au/spotcheck. Don’t forget to get #spotchecked today!

Listen to interview with Steve Waugh and Radio 2SM Sydney’s Gavin Robertson here: