Open your mind and protect your skin because preventing melanoma, an aggressive malignant skin tumor, is much better than treating it. It is the message that the children who participated in the Il Sole per friend competition for the school years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 wanted to launch. Covid has not stopped the skin cancer awareness campaign launched in light of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Italian Melanoma Intergroup (IMI) and the Ministry of Education (MI). Now in its fifth edition, the competition sees an increase in the number of participating schools throughout the country every year. Nine selected winners awarded by Pierpaolo Siler, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health. IMI donates 2,500 euros to the first classified, 1,500 euros to the second and 1,000 euros to third parties.
"Our goal - explains Ignazio Stanganelli, IMI president - is primary prevention. We intend to sensitize the new generations to consciously adopt correct behaviors when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, both natural, such as solar rays, and artificial, such as lamps and sunbeds. It is the first weapon we have at our disposal to reduce the incidence of melanoma ". "I care a lot - says Pierpaolo Sileri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health - in projects of this kind and as a doctor I would like to see more and more of them.
Healthcare should be taught right from school because it gives a greater awareness of the knowledge of one's body and of the problems that may arise. What is being done today with 'The Sun as a friend', tightens that marriage between the citizen and the NHS as well as obviously declining in a proactive way the correct exposure to ultraviolet rays. "The 9 videos tell with the typical language of the three groups of age the relationship with the sun, tanning and sunburn. Real commercials with music, texts, drawings and short films, in which the message of prevention is conveyed in a simple and direct way and involves, as well as children and teenagers, their families.
In announcing the winners, IMI and the Ministry of Education recall that the Il Sole as a friend Competition has already been launched for the 2021-2022 school year.
The notice of the VI Edition is available on the IMI website and on that of the Ministry of Education
These are the awarded schools
For the primaries 1st Global Institute of Sant'Antioco (Sardinia) 2nd ICS Mons. L. Vitali of Bellano, Lecco (Lombardy) 3rd Paritary School "Margherita Lenzi" of Rome (Lazio)
For lower secondary schools 1st IC Caldiero Secondary school 1st grade A. Pisano di Caldiero, Verona (Veneto) 2nd SSIG G. Marconi di Terni (Umbria) 3rd Comprehensive Institute Vallo della Lucania di Novi Velia, Salerno (Campania)
For upper secondary schools 1st Liceo Scientifico Michelangelo Grigoletti of Pordenone (Friuli Venezia Giulia) 2nd ISISS Marco Minghetti of Legnago, Verona (Veneto) 3rd Simone Weil Higher Institute of Treviglio, Bergamo (Lombardy)