Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world, with one person diagnosed with the disease every 30 minutes.

Nationally, one person dies from melanoma every six hours, and is the most common cancer affecting 20 to 39-year-old Australians.

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Communities across the country, including in Tasmania's North-East, are being urged by the Melanoma Institute of Australia to turn out in force and join their local Melanoma March.

The initiative - set to be held in Hobart on March 20 - is aimed at recouping a $1.5 million shortfall in funding for melanoma research, caused by the event's cancellation over the past two years, due to COVID-19.

This year is the 11th anniversary of the fundraising campaign, which is set to raise funds to support a world-first personalised immunotherapy clinical trial for advanced melanoma patients.

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Currently, 50 per cent of advanced melanoma patients don't respond to or develop resistance to the immunotherapy treatment which saves others.

The clinical trial is to test a personalised immunotherapy platform designed to ensure these patients get effective treatment the first time - based on their own genetics and tumour biology.

Hailing from Launceston, co-medical director of MIA, Proffessor Richard Scoyler, is one of the world's leading melanoma pathologists.

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Professor Scoyler said events such as the march were vitally important to reaching MIA's goal of eventually reaching zero deaths caused by melanoma.

"It's a fundraising campaign, and the money is used for very important research, however, it's also about raising awareness, and supporting families that have been affected by this disease, which is, unfortunately, still so common," he said.

"Melanoma is a national public health problem and we need to do more, especially to prevent it."

To register or donate to the march, go to www.melanomamarch.org.au.

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