July 2024

The Melanoma New Zealand team had another successful Fieldays event in 2024 working alongside other health providers at the Fieldays Hauora Taiwhenua Health & Wellbeing Hub to foster a culture of proactive health management. 

Farmers are more at risk of melanoma because they largely work outdoors, and the majority of skin cancers are caused by UV radiation. 

The annual event allows the charity to directly engage with Fieldays’ large rural audience and raise awareness about the importance of early detection and prevention of melanoma. 

This year, several people returned to the Melanoma New Zealand site to thank its Nurse Educators for finding skin cancer on them at Fieldays in 2023. 

These encounters motivate and inspire the Melanoma New Zealand team to keep raising awareness in the hope of potentially saving lives. 

Melanoma New Zealand’s prime site right outside the entrance to the Hub and the addition of its Pop-up Pod this year made them hard to miss. A constant stream of people lined up for a free spot check and education about adopting good sun-smart practices on the farm.

Over the four days, Melanoma New Zealand provided free spot checks to 577 people at their site, and found 103 suspicious lesions, including 21 suspected melanomas.

Sponsored by Mobile Health Group, the Fieldays Hauora Taiwhenua Health & Wellbeing Hub featured 46 exhibitors in 2024, showcasing just a glimpse of the significant impact on rural communities at Fieldays.