WORLD Cancer Day is on February 4 and encourages people to spread awareness of the deadly disease.
It’s a day to think about how we can improve education and prompt government action, as organised by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
What is World Cancer Day?
The day is dedicated to come together to raise awareness as well as help people to prevent, detect and treat the illness.
The themes are three years long, with this year being the first of the theme “Close the Care Gap”.
The website states that it will focus on understanding the inequities in cancer care globally.
It encourages people to think about how they can change the gap.
“It’s about having an open mind, challenging assumptions and looking at the hard facts,” its explains.
“Inequity in cancer care costs lives and people who seek cancer care hit barriers at every turn.
“Income, education, location and discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and lifestyle are just a few of the factors that can negatively affect care.”
Last year, the theme ended three years of “I am and I will” which served as a “reminder of the enduring power of cooperation and collective action.”
When is World Cancer Day 2022?
World Cancer Day is on February 4 every year.
This year it falls on a Thursday.
It was established in 2000 at the World Cancer Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium, which was held in Paris.
How can I get involved in World Cancer Day?
You can get involved by trying out their “21 Days to Impact Challenges”.
The challenge is to to take 21 days to “create a positive habit”.
This can be committing to improving your personal health, educating yourself or speaking out about the inequities that exist in accessing cancer services or just making a positive change.
A particular focus for the UICC this year is the prevention of cervical cancer.
Now, health authorities believe we could become close to eliminating cervical cancer by vaccinating women against the virus that causes it.
The vaccine for the HPV virus is still not readily available for women across the globe.
“A disease that now stands as one of the world’s greatest public health failures can be eliminated,” the World Health Organisation commented.
