Beat the Burn Campaign – MMSA Malta

Name of the activity: Beat the Burn Campaign

Country/NMO: MMSA Malta

Program: Healthy Lifestyles & Non-Communicable Diseases

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: Contunuous Activity

Category: Campaign

Focus area: Prevention of NCDs and Health Promotion, Children & healthy habits

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 13 (Climate Action)

General description:

Beat the Burn’ is a yearly campaign held by MMSA Malta which is focused on educating members of the public on the dangers of excessive sun exposure. 

Throughout the Summer, students travel to the various beaches of Malta following an educational workshop, outreaching to members of the public and raising awareness, while giving sun block samples in collaboration with sponsors. 

Students also give peer education sessions to local Summer Schools, teaching children how to stay safe in the Sun!

Problem statement:

In Malta, the incidence of skin cancers has risen steadily over the past 20 years. The standardised incidence for primary invasive cutaneous malignant melanoma for example has increased from 3.7 per 100,000 population per year for males and 5.1 for females between 1993-1997, to 10.1 per 100,000 population per year for males and 12.1 for females in 2017. Malta has a high UV index for several months of the year, with a population vulnerable to skin burns, and so raising awareness is essential!

Target groups:

• General population
• Children
• Youth

Beneficiaries:

• General population
• Medical students
• Children
• Youth

Objectives:

By the end of July, organise an online workshop for a minimum of 40 medical students in collaboration with a local Dermatologist, focused on disease related to excessive sun exposure.

Organise Peer education Sessions in collaboration with at least two local Summer schools by the end of the Summer.

By the end of the Summer, organise at least one beach outreach session per month at different beaches on the Island.

Collaborate with at least one external organisation to provide sunblock samples and increase resources.

Create at least one social media post, and one quiz to use at outreach sessions by the end of the Summer.

Indicators of Success:

Online workshop is organised and attended by at least 40 students.

At least two Summer Schools agree to peer education for multiple classes on various days.

At least one beach outreach session is held per month, educating at least 100 people each on the danger of excessive sun exposure.

At least one collaboration takes place, securing one tent, 2 tables and 5 chairs, as well as at least 200 Sunblock Samples.

A social media post is created reaching at least 500 people.

A quiz is prepared to test attendees on their knowledge.

Methodology:

Timeline: Educational Workshop, Beach Outreach + Peer Education Sessions (Over months), Social Media Campaign

Leadership Structure: NPO as well as NPO Assistant in charge of delegation of work to two campaign coordinators.

Resources: Partners include Malta Tourism Authority, pharmaceutical sponsor for Sunblock (Previous examples include Bioderma, Eucerin).  Resources include sunblock samples, water bottles, tent, tables and chairs (provided by partners), laminated A4 (Beat the Burn Quiz)

Risk Management + Sustainability: Events are not risky to carry out. On beaches tents are set up near lifeguards in case first aid is needed. At least 5 Students are present at any time during event. Should weather not be adequate, events are postponed. Event is relatively sustainable with Quizzes being done on instagram, and having reusable laminated sheets, but work must be done to improve sustainability in regards to samples given.

Plans for evaluation:

Evaluation is based on social media interaction, numbers of children educated, numbers of event attendees and numbers of sunblock samples given. It may be difficult to describe exact numbers for the attendees, but an average can be assumed for each event. Comparison is done on this bases of education.

External collaborations:

In previous years we worked with sponsors to provide sunblock samples for members of the public. So far sponsors worked with, have been Eucerin and Bioderma (in separate years). There has also been collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) as beach outreach has formed part of their activities. From MTA we received support in the form of resources and logistics as they provided tents, tables and chairs as well as water bottles for our members and the public.