Melanoma New Zealand will have its new, mobile spot check van in Ashburton, with nurse educators offering free spot checks and melanoma education.
The van will be based at the Hotel Ashburton, on June 26, from 10.30am to 3pm.
The new van has been made possible with funding from Melanoma New Zealand partner FMG, and the Lion Foundation.
Melanoma New Zealand chief executive Andrea Newland said New Zealand had one of the worst rates of melanoma in the world, with more than 7000 diagnoses each year and around 300 deaths.
‘‘But melanoma can be preventable and, if caught and treated early enough, it’s almost always curable,” she said.
“This van is a superb educational resource that will enable us to strengthen our messages around the country, and it will help save even more lives.
“We are so grateful to FMG and the Lion Foundation for their funding and for helping us champion melanoma prevention and early detection.”
A nurse educator would use the new van to visit South Island communities, including remote and rural areas where many people worked outdoors and could be at a higher risk of developing a melanoma.
‘‘Our partnership with FMG is critical in helping us reach these at-risk rural communities,” Newlands said.
FMG chief marketing officer Pete Frizzell said partnering with Melanoma New Zealand to save lives and prevent suffering was a no-brainer.
‘‘We know it can be harder for those living rurally to access health care, so let’s take this life-saving service into these communities.
“The new van means there are now vans for both the North and South Islands so we can provide many more free spot checks for rural New Zealanders as part of the FMG Spot Check Roadie.”
A list of upcoming locations can be found at: melanoma.org.nz/spot-check-events/
Frizzell said FMG was focused on building strong and prosperous rural communities and investing back into the communities where it operated.
‘‘Helping to raise awareness and prevent melanoma for those at higher risk, like many of our farmers and growers who work outdoors, is just one way we do this.”
Detecting melanoma early
The first sign is often a change in the size, shape or colour of an existing spot, or the appearance of a new spot.
If melanoma is recognised and treated early enough, it is almost always curable.
