People across the globe observe World Cancer Day on February 4 to make people aware of cancer and the prejudices associated with the condition. The Union of International Cancer Control (UICC) has declared World Cancer Day to be a “global uniting initiative.” This means that individuals all across the world are being urged to band together and battle the disease through detection, early identification, care, and emotional support.
It was founded on February 4, 2000, during the World Cancer Conference for the New Millennium in Paris, France. On that same day, Koichiro Matsuura, then-General Director of UNESCO, and former French President Jacques Chirac inked the Charter of Paris Against Cancer. Every year since then, the day has been marked with a different theme.
The World Cancer Day campaign strives to raise awareness and remove the stigma around the disease, which is now the world’s second leading cause of mortality. The major goal is to minimize disease-related sickness and mortality, as well as to stop the injustice of unnecessary suffering inflicted by it. On this day, numerous events are planned throughout the world, and the disease becomes a topic of discussion on social media.
Close the Care Gap is the theme of World Cancer Day 2022-2024. This is more than just a calendar date. This initiative is meant to motivate reform and inspire action, even after the actual day has passed. It is a multi-year campaign, which promises more exposure and interaction, as well as more opportunity to raise awareness of the issue and, eventually, influence. The inaugural year of the ‘Close the Care Gap’ campaign is focused on identifying and recognizing global disparities in cancer care.
Inspirational talk from Dr V.P Gangadharan: https://youtu.be/Ti4zaXXGRI0