World Cancer Day 2023? Date Theme, History, Significance and All You Need to Know

WORLD CANCER DAY 2023: The second-leading cause of death around the globe, cancer claims close to 10 million lives annually. Lower and middle-income countries account for seven out of every 10 cancer-related deaths. What is heart-wrenching is that over 40 percent of these deaths worldwide are preventable through lifestyle changes, regular checkups, and early detection and treatment.

In order to raise awareness about cancer and encourage its prevention, World Cancer Day is observed every year on February 4. The commemoration aims to bring together various stakeholders, including governments, healthcare professionals, and the general public, to work towards reducing the impact of cancer.

World Cancer Day: History

World Cancer Day came into existence on February 4, 2000, at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris. It was instituted by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise awareness about the disease and encourage its deterrence, detection, and treatment.

World Cancer Day: Significance

World Cancer Day is significant since it draws attention to the global effect of cancer. It provides a platform to highlight how crucial early detection and access to treatment are for reducing the loss of precious human lives. Additionally, it unites campaigns across the world under a single umbrella every year. The day is also a call to action for individuals, governments, and organisations to work together to soften the adverse effects of cancer on individuals, families, and communities around the world.

World Cancer Day 2023: Theme

For three years – 2022, 2023 and 2024 – the theme of World Cancer Day was decided to be “Close The Care Gap”. This multi-year campaign is focused on addressing how inequities affect care for cancer patients, uniting for action, and putting pressure on those in the higher echelons of power to attend to this decades-long endemic.

Marking The Day

World Cancer Day is marked by various activities, such as public events, awareness campaigns, and educational programs, to promote cancer awareness. These events aim to encourage individuals in order to take action to reduce the impact of cancer on their lives and communities.

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) presents tools and guidance to encourage its member organisations to conduct local awareness campaigns aligned and adapted to the global World Cancer Day message.

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