World Cancer Day is celebrated on February 4 annually, it is a global initiative formed by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to face one of the ultimate challenges faced by human beings across the world. This health event is dedicated in empowering individuals and communities globally to express support and create awareness of cancer in a positive way and enhance the understanding of this life-threatening disease. Also, the health day recognises the power of knowledge and that every person can make a change, big or small and that together we can make advancements in lessening the global impact of cancer and make a cancer-free world.
This year’s theme is ‘Close The Care Gap’, the campaign emphasises understanding and recognising the inequities in cancer care and treatment globally. It also focusses on having an open mind, challenging conventions, and looking at the hard facts such as:
Inequality in cancer care costs lives.
People affected with cancer are left without proper care and treatment at every end.
Economy, education, and discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, age, disability, and lifestyle are a few of the contributing factors that can negatively hinder proper care.
This gap affects every individual, including you and your dear ones. This should be changed, and this year theme aims to reduce stigma, listen to the perspectives of the people living with cancer and let those people guide society actions and thoughts.
Thus, the World Cancer Day campaign works to create a better place to live healthier and deliver proper access to health and cancer treatments and services, no matter where they are born, grow, age, work or live.
Significance of World Cancer Day
The ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic has led to a setback in the care of cancer patients owing to subsequent lockdowns. Thus, the World Cancer Day event aims to bring the cancer discourse to the forefront and address the issues in a way that creates a difference.
Though we have made several advancements in cancer treatment, the hardship is that it is only treatable when diagnosed in its early stages. Hence, we need to raise awareness among the populace about cancer during this health event, so prompt diagnosis and treatment is offered to the patients that helps to lower the death rate.
The main step toward a cancer-free future is recognizing that cancer exists and that it can affect anybody and everyone. Therefore, it is essential to make the populace understand the disease and motivate them to follow a disciplined lifestyle to address this problem at its root.
Key Facts About Cancer
Cancer has a shocking death rate, every year around 9.6 million people die from cancer.
The real fact is about one-third of common cancers are completely preventable and treatable.
Cancer is the second most common cause of death globally.
Almost 70% of death due to cancer happen in low-income countries, where people lack access to care and treatment
This debilitating health condition not only takes its toll physically but, the total economic cost of cancer annually is around one lakh core rupees globally.
Also Read: World Cancer Day 2020: Significant Advancements In Cancer Therapies
World Cancer Day Importance
About one-third of the cancers can be prevented:
At an individual, community and policy level there can be a lot of plans and strategies that can be designed for preventing cancer. Taking the time to evaluate and understand what a person, their family and community can do to make a difference and have a great impact.
Cancer does have warning signs:
For several cancers, there are significant warning signs and symptoms, and the benefits of prompt detection are undeniable. A person affected with cancer should have regular follow-ups ad speak with the doctor to create more awareness promote overall well-being.
