July 27 (Bloomberg) -- Overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation causes diseases that kill about 60,000 people worldwide a year, the United Nations' World Health Organization said.

Between 50 and 90 percent of all incidences of two types of cancer, basal cell carcinoma of the skin and cutaneous malignant melanoma, are caused by too much exposure to UV radiation, the WHO said in a fact-sheet posted on its Web site. Between 50 and 70 percent of cases of a third cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, were due to the same cause, WHO said.

``Between 41,000 and 71,000 deaths, with a best estimate of around 60,000 were attributed to excessive UVR exposure'' in the year studied, 2000, the group said. Other conditions, such as sunburn, cataracts and cold sores that are caused by too much sun, contribute to shorter life spans.

The amount of exposure to the sun is a factor of the cloud cover, altitude, the surface, and ozone coverage of a location, as well as the time of day, according to the UN agency. Some ultraviolet radiation is needed by the body to stimulate the production of vitamin D, which lessens the chances of developing diseases such as osteoporosis, the group said.

The organization recommended that people limit direct exposure to sunlight between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when UV rays are at their strongest, wear protective clothing, use sunscreen, and avoid using sun lamps. Babies should ``always'' remain in the shade, and children should be more protected than adults because they are ``generally more susceptible to environmental hazards,'' the WHO said.

In Europe, with its ``predominantly fair-skinned population,'' melanoma was the most common of the UV-related diseases, according to the WHO. The same was found in western Pacific nations including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei and Singapore. In Africa, many Latin American nations and some Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian nations, cataracts were the most common illness.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 27, 2006 07:02 EDT