Andalusia Launches Skin Cancer Prevention Campaign

The Regional Government of Andalusia has launched a new awareness campaign focused on the prevention of skin cancer. On April 10, 2026, Antonio Sanz, the Regional Minister of Health, Presidency and Emergencies, announced the initiative during a press conference held in Seville, Spain.

Minister Sanz was accompanied by Magdalena Cantero Sosa, the president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), to report on the details of the awareness campaign. The initiative aims to increase public knowledge regarding the risks of skin cancer and the importance of preventative measures.

Regional Skin Cancer Trends and Incidence

The campaign comes amid concerning data regarding skin cancer rates within the region, particularly in the province of Malaga. According to Leandro Martínez Pilar, president of the Andalusian branch of the Spanish academy of dermatology and venereology (AEDV), the province faces a significant burden of the disease.

Experts estimate that Malaga sees approximately 6,000 cases of basal cell and squamous cell tumors diagnosed annually. These non-melanoma skin cancers represent 90% of all cases. The province sees around 600 new cases of melanoma each year, which is identified as the most aggressive type of skin cancer due to its higher mortality rate.

The scale of the issue has grown over recent years. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of these tumors in Malaga rose by 40%. While the national incidence rate in 2022 was 47 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, estimates suggest the local rate in Malaga is significantly higher, potentially reaching 371.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants across the three major types of skin cancer.

Regarding these figures, Martínez Pilar described the data as striking and alarming and noted that the actual numbers might be higher, stating, We’d probably be underestimating it because many epidemiological studies do not account for private healthcare cases or unrecorded instances.

Prevention and Public Health Strategies

Medical experts emphasize that the prevention of skin cancer is straightforward. The primary recommendation is to avoid excessive exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. Specific attention is urged for the protection of vulnerable areas of the body, including the ears and the nose.

The current awareness campaign is part of a broader history of public health efforts in Andalusia to combat skin cancer. Previous and concurrent initiatives have targeted specific high-risk environments and populations, including:

• The SolSano program, which focuses on skin cancer prevention in Spain.
• The living with the sun educational intervention, which addresses sun protection policies and practices within elementary and preschools in Andalusia.
• Targeted detection and prevention campaigns at golf courses on the Costa del Sol.
• Strategic outreach to beachgoers, who are considered a primary target for prevention efforts due to the environment.

These diverse strategies reflect a comprehensive approach to public health, combining government-led awareness campaigns, school-based education and targeted interventions in high-exposure recreational areas to reduce the incidence of skin cancer across the Andalusian population.