Australian-first sun safety campaign puts Aboriginal voices at the centre of skin cancer prevention

An Aboriginal community-led and co-designed sun safety and skin cancer awareness campaign has launched to provide culturally relevant resources that support skin cancer awareness and sun safe behaviours among Aboriginal children, young people and families.

Developed by The Kids Research Institute Australia’s Healthy Skin Team in partnership with Aboriginal community members, Cancer Council Western Australia, Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service and South West Aboriginal Medical Service, Every Shade Every Mob addresses a gap in sun safety messaging by putting Aboriginal voices and experiences at the centre of skin cancer prevention.

The Australia-first campaign emerged from an Aboriginal-led research program conducted by the Healthy Skin Team in partnership with Aboriginal young people, families, Elders, health professionals and community organisations.

To better understand community perspectives, 122 Aboriginal children and young people aged six to 25 participated in a co-designed survey exploring sun safety knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.

While almost 90 per cent recognised the importance of sun protection, the research identified important gaps between knowledge and behaviour:

More than 80 per cent reported having experienced sunburn.

Sunscreen use was inconsistent, with some participants reporting they rarely or never used sunscreen on a hot, sunny day.

Nearly half agreed that getting sunburnt was normal, while some were unsure whether people with darker skin could develop skin cancer.

Complementary research by the Healthy Skin Team identified a lack of Australian sun safety and skin cancer awareness resources specifically developed for Aboriginal children, young people and families. It also found that health resources were more relatable and engaging when they reflected Aboriginal people, families and communities.

These findings helped inform the development of Every Shade Every Mob, with Aboriginal community members shaping the campaign’s messaging, imagery and resources from the outset.

Healthy Skin Team Master’s Student and Aboriginal Project Officer Jacinta Walton said the campaign was driven by Aboriginal communities, with their voices and experiences shaping it from the beginning.

“What we heard from community was clear: representation matters. When people see themselves, their families and their communities reflected in health resources, those resources become more meaningful and impactful,” Walton said.

“This is not a campaign that was developed for Aboriginal communities and then presented to them. It was developed with community, from the beginning, with Aboriginal people leading the way and telling us what they needed. That community leadership is what makes Every Shade Every Mob different.”

Community helped develop the campaign’s name, messaging, imagery and resources, which were refined through ongoing consultation and evaluation. Materials include social media content, posters, fact sheets, practical sun safety tips and a children’s storybook developed through a complementary co-design and evaluation project.

The name Every Shade Every Mob reflects two key messages:

Aboriginal people come in every shade and, like other Australians, can experience sun damage and skin cancer, due to the very high UV.

Seeking shade is an important way to protect skin while staying connected to family, community and Country. It also recognises the knowledge and practices that have long guided how people spend time outdoors in Australia’s high-UV environment.

“We hope these resources support Aboriginal children, young people and families to feel confident accessing information about skin health, strengthen conversations about sun safety, and make informed choices that feel relevant to their lives, communities and experiences,” Ms Walton said.

“Created by community, for community, these resources reflect the diversity and strengths of Aboriginal families while providing information.”

Healthy Skin Team leader Professor Asha Bowen said improving skin cancer awareness was an important step towards better skin health outcomes for Aboriginal children, families and communities.

“Our extensive research with Aboriginal families highlighted the need for greater skin cancer awareness. Aboriginal people who develop skin cancer can be diagnosed at a later stage, which can make treatment more difficult and lead to poorer health outcomes,” Professor Bowen said.

“Regardless of our skin colour, we all need to protect our skin from sun damage. Seeking shade and practising sun safety are important ways we can reduce our risk of skin cancer.”

Ultimately, Every Shade Every Mob aims to help Aboriginal children, young people and families recognise their risk of skin cancer, understand how to protect their skin and make sun safety part of everyday life.

Every Shade Every Mob resources are available at thekids.org.au/every-shade-every-mob and through the Strong Skin app, available to download from the App Store and Google Play.

The campaign was made possible through funding from the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, Cancer Council WA, the Annie Frida Minna Adams Charitable Trust, The Norman H Johns Trust, Perpetual Foundation and The FW & CF Penberthy Endowment.