CAIRO: In response to a two-week scare about the harmful effects of ultra-violet (UVR) rays, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement to explain the phenomenon.
We issued this press release instead of discrediting individuals who wrongfully used the WHO s name in their reports, Mona Yassin of the WHO s press center told Daily News Egypt.
The statement confirmed that during the summer months in Egypt and the Middle East, UVR reach a harmful level especially between 11 am and 4 pm. A UVR scale from 1 to a maximum of 16 is used in measuring the rays and it was noted that the rays reach 10 and 11 from May to September.
The WHO advised the use of sun block and avoiding sun bathing since it s unsafe for the skin and eyes.
UVR has a cumulative nature and can cause severe burns and skin cancer, but not any burn indicates skin cancer, said Yassin. People react wrongly to information.
Yassin stressed the importance of avoiding direct sunlight on the beach, especially for children.
While the WHO refused to attribute the high levels of UVR to ozone depletion, a doctor at the Health Ministry, who asked to remain anonymous, told Daily News Egypt that air pollution in general and the ozone layer were directly linked to the documented high UVR.
The WHO and the Health Ministry confirmed that they have not received any reports of severe burns and that the sun-related cases received did not exceed cases reported last summer.
