Alex Homer
Leading Australian life insurer, TAL, has launched TAL SpotChecker 2023 for the eighth consecutive year, designed to encourage and enable more Australians to embrace skin safety.
Since the inception of the TAL SpotChecker program in 2016, TAL has been working to empower people with greater understanding about the value of preventative health – particularly within the context of skin cancer.
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with 2 in 3 Australians anticipated to be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer by the age of 70, according to the Cancer Council of Australia[1].
TAL’s research[2] finds most people continue to underestimate the prevalence of skin cancer, with less than 1 in 4 (23%) aware of this figure, despite 69% being concerned they will develop skin cancer themselves.
Alex Homer, TAL Chief Customer and Brand Officer, said “TAL cares deeply about the health and wellbeing of all Australians. We are focused on playing our part in helping people live a healthy and full life, and we do that by seeking to bridge the gap between awareness and action.
“TAL is committed to generating meaningful and impactful ways for our customers, partners, and the broader Australian community to engage with TAL SpotChecker. Now in our eighth year, we are highlighting a renewed message around protection and prevention to capture the public’s attention, drive attitudinal change, and most importantly change behaviours and preventative action around skin safety.”
Dr Priya Chagan, TAL General Manager of Health Services, said “The incidence of skin cancer remains alarmingly high. As a specialist life insurer with a dedicated in-house Health Services team, TAL is uniquely placed to help Australians live a life as full as possible through good health.
“Secondary prevention in the form of regular self-checks and professional skin checks, where there is a concern, is the only way to ensure early detection. By placing emphasis on people knowing their skin and recognising any changes to it over time, in addition to the typical sun safety precautions, we can ensure that people can feel more confident about their time in the sun.
The insights from the TAL SpotChecker research over the last seven years show a slight uptick in people self-checking their skin for signs of skin cancer, however there are still 1 in 5 (19%) Australians who have never done a self-check of their skin, and 38% who either have not done a check within the last three months or cannot remember when their last one was.
Dr Chagan adds “We take a holistic approach to health and wellbeing to protect and support our customers, and through TAL SpotChecker we will continue to educate more Australians around the incidence of skin cancer and the importance of early detection.”
———-