About World Cancer Day
Research done by the World Health Organization (WHO) worldwide found that cancer is a leading cause of death among humans. It is estimated that between 2005 and 2015, approximately 84 million people died of cancer without intervention. It also showed that the population diagnosed with cancer is higher in low-income and medium-income countries rather than the high-resource countries.
World Cancer Day is a worldwide campaign that responds to the Charter of Paris, which was agreed on February 4, 2000 at the World Summit against Cancer for the New Millennium. This special day summoned for a sound cooperation required between researchers, health-care professionals, patients, governments, industry partners as well as the media to assist in the fight against cancer.
Through Charter of Paris, February 4 each year was designated as World Cancer Day and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) is responsible for organizing World Cancer Day throughout the world. The first World Cancer Day was organized in 20016, which received huge support the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other international bodies.
World Cancer Day unites people from all over the world in the fight against cancer and playing a vital role for this cause is the World Health Organization (WHO), which is the coordinator health authority for the United Nations (UN). Recurring themes used by WHO each year managed to create awareness and at the same time help prevent cancer among the population as well as raising the quality of life for its patients.
As for World Cancer Day 2016-2018, the theme “We can, I can” has been chosen in order to explore among ourselves either as a collective or as individuals in showing any kind of action that we can contribute in terms of reducing the universal burden of cancer.
World Cancer Day Activities
It is important for us to show our support during World Cancer Day so that we help save millions of preventable deaths annually especially through awareness and education about the disease, demanding governments and individuals worldwide to take serious action. The public can always work hand in hand with businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations on World Cancer Day to assist the public in learning more about various types of cancer such as breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, and cancer in children; how to be aware for it, treatments along with the preventative measures that can be taken.
Other World Cancer Day activities and events are providing platform that focus on the fight against cancer in a big way via television, radio, online, newspaper advertisements or articles. Government can also organize nationwide campaigns especially targeting parents to help them minimize the risk of cancer among their family members. Funds for cancer research can be raised through breakfasts, luncheons, or dinners featuring well-known keynote speakers or video presentations by cancer patients.
Public information booths can also be created for the public to easily get information kits, fact sheets, booklets, posters, and other items related to promotion of cancer awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and treatment.
World Cancer Day Flowers
Flowers can also be given out as gifts during World Cancer Day, for example, flowers with the same colour that symbolize global symbol of breast cancer awareness, which is pink. Celebrate this coming World Cancer Day with friends or family members or even cancer patient by giving them lovely pink floral arrangements that can bring out the smile in their face.
You can make use of flowers with orange colour to be associated with the orange ribbon that symbolize child cancer awareness. The daffodil has been chosen by the American Cancer Society to symbolize the hope that all of us share for a future where cancer is not any more life-threatening to the world population.