World Cancer Day 2022: History, Significance, Theme, And Messages To Share
World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4 to raise worldwide awareness, improving education and catalysing personal, collective and government action.
New Delhi: World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4. It is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to take the lead in convening, capacity building, and advocacy initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda.
History Of World Cancer Day
World Cancer Day was born on the 4 February 2000 at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris, according to worldcancerday.org. 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.
Significance Of World Cancer Day
Every year, World Cancer Day is observed on February 4 to raise worldwide awareness, improving education and catalysing personal, collective and government action.
This is to ensure that everyone is working together to reimagine a world where millions of preventable cancer deaths are saved and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all, according to worldcancerday.org. This should be true for all, irrespective of who they are or where they live.
Since 2000, World Cancer Day has grown into a positive movement for everyone, everywhere to unite under one voice to face one of our greatest challenges in history.
Hundreds of activities and events take place around the world each year, gathering communities, organisations and individuals in schools, businesses, hospitals, marketplaces, parks, community halls, places of worship.
The activities take place in the streets and online and act as a powerful reminder that we all have a role to play in reducing the global impact of cancer.
Many people who seek cancer care hit barriers at every turn despite the fact that the world lives in a time of awe-inspiring advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Some of the factors which can negatively affect care are income, education, geographical location, and discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, and lifestyle.
World Cancer Day 2022: Theme
The theme of this year’s World Cancer Day is “Close the Care Gap”. The theme is all about raising awareness of the equity gap that affects almost everyone, in high as well as low- and middle-income countries, and is costing lives.
The official website of World Cancer Day by UICC has asked people to help close the cancer care gap for a cancer-free world.
According to the official website of World Cancer Day, a three-year campaign for impact will be set in action.
The campaign is built to inspire change and mobilise action long after the day itself.
A multi-year campaign means more exposure and engagement, more opportunities to build global awareness, and ultimately more impact, according to worldcancerday.org.
The first year of the ‘Close the Care Gap’ campaign is all about understanding and recognising the inequities in cancer care around the globe, and about having an open mind, challenging assumptions, and looking at some hard facts.
The hard facts include:
- Inequity in cancer care costs lives.
- 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.
- The gap affects everyone, including you and your loved ones.
- These barriers are not set in stone. They can be changed.
The year 2022 is the year to question the status quo and help reduce stigma; to listen to the perspectives of the people living with cancer and their communities and let those lived experiences guide our thoughts and actions, according to worldcancerday.org.
This is how the world can begin to imagine a better way of doing things and to build a fairer vision of the future. This would be a future where people live healthier lives and have better access to health and cancer services, no matter where they are born, grow, age, work or live.
The year 2023 will be about uniting like-minded people and taking action. The final year of the campaign is all about bringing attention to a higher level and about challenging those in power, the website said.
World Cancer Day 2022: Messages
Following are some inspiring quotes provided by Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital:
- Never give up. Give yourself a chance to see the world again. Fight till the end.
- We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.
- Never give up hope easily. Give yourself a chance simply by fighting till the end.
- Support the fighters. Admire the survivors. Honor the taken. Never give up.
- To all cancer patients, nothing is impossible. With prayers, love, and courage you will win the battle over cancer. Never give up, you will never walk alone. – Shawn
- Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind. It cannot touch my heart. And it cannot touch my soul. – JM
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