World Cancer Day (WCD), 04 February 2016, marks the launch of a new three-year campaign implemented and led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) – at the helm of each annual world day dedicated to raising awareness and rallying support for cancer research and prevention. The overarching theme for 2016-2018, ´We can. I can.´, aims at extending reach and increased impact to raise the profile of cancer as a global health priority as well as the global visibility of World Cancer Day.
The inspired ´We can. I can.´ tag-line is all-encompassing in its intention and drive. The wide range of materials and ideas that can be used and adapted by the ´We´ or the ´I´ (or both), depending on each individual´s profession, perspective or experiences and are downloadable here at: http://www.worldcancerday.org/about/2016-2018-world-cancer-day-campaign .
This WCD ´package´ has been specially devised to empower every one of us to take various action to reduce the impact that cancer has on individuals, families and communities, and also provides us all with the opportunity to help spread the word. No matter who we are, where we are from, what we do in our daily lives, we all have the opportunity to act as ambassadors in the quest to conquer cancer.
“The urgency to take such collective action couldn´t be more acute. While we are seeing undeniable progress thanks to the advances driven by multidisciplinarity, translational research, and a common determination to render cancer medicine and care more precise, the current statistics are daunting. 8.2 million lives are claimed by cancer each year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely aged between 30-69 years. The time to react is now,” emphasizes Josep Tabernero, Director of VHIO.
“We must continue to act in concert, in collaboration. In so doing we will accelerate research and strive to ensure equal access to prevention, optimal treatment strategies, and palliative care management across borders. Connectivity and pan-global exchange between all stakeholders in oncology, with the essential involvement and engagement of our patients, their family members as well as advocacy groups, remain absolutely key. Can we collectively put the brakes on the rising global epidemic that is cancer? Simply put, in the words of President Barack Obama, ´Yes WE Can!´” he concludes.
To discover more about the World Cancer Day three-year campaign and find out how you can support the cause by spreading the word as ´I´ or collectively as ´We´, please visit www.worldcancerday.org today.
