World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008. The primary goal of World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer by 2020.

History

World Cancer Day was established on February 4, 2000 at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris. The Paris Charter aims to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services, raise awareness and mobilise the global community to make progress against cancer, and includes the adoption of World Cancer Day.

Themes

Each year, World Cancer Day focuses on a particular theme. Past themes have included "Not beyond us", which took a positive and proactive approach to the fight against cancer, and "We can. I can.", which explored how everyone can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer. The theme for World Cancer Day in 2019 was "I Am and I Will", an empowering call-to-action urging for personal commitment and represents the power of individual action taken now to impact the future.

Activities

Activities and events on World Cancer Day include festivals, walks, seminars, public information campaigns and other activities targeted at the general public and policy-makers. The day is also marked by the international cancer community, governments and individuals around the world, who unite to support the fight against cancer.

Impact

World Cancer Day is a powerful initiative that unites the world's population in the fight against cancer. It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, and pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action.