WORLD Cancer Day, being run by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), is a three-year campaign which began last year.
Taking place under the tagline ‘We can. I can.’, World Cancer Day 2016-2018 will explore how everyone – as a collective or as individuals – can play their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.
Just as cancer affects everyone in different ways, all people have the power to take various actions to reduce the impact that cancer has on individuals, families and communities.
World Cancer Day is a chance to reflect on what you can do, make a pledge and take action.
Whatever you choose to do ‘We can. I can.’ make a difference to the fight against cancer.
World Cancer Day was established by the Paris Charter which was adopted at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium in Paris on February 4, 2000.
It is aimed at the promotion of the research for curing as well as preventing the disease, upgrading services provided to the patients, the sensitisation of the common opinion and the mobilisation of the global community against cancer.
Since cancer knows no boundaries, and individual countries cannot address the challenges of cancer in isolation, a new cooperative approach to research, advocacy, prevention and treatment must be established.
In ‘Article 10’ of the charter put together by the UICC, pledges were made to mark February 4 as World Cancer Day so each year the charter would be in the hearts and minds of people around the world.
Other pledges included establishing standing committees to produce annual reports, bench-marking progress of the articles in the charter.
Another was to create a global research organisation made of leading professional societies around the world dedicated to ensuring current knowledge was shared across borders, research gaps were identified and promising areas were explored.
What will you be doing for World Cancer Day?
Visit http://www.worldcancerday.org/ for more information on World Cancer Day and the campaign.
