Marking the second year of a three-year campaign themed´We can. I can.´, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) – the tour de force behind each global day dedicated to raising awareness and rallying support for cancer research and prevention, has centered this year´s key message on the importance of increased physical activity in helping to avoid a worldwide ticking time bomb with cancer cases predicted to reach 21.7 million by 2030.
Just as the ´We can.´ calls on collective action on this World Day to extend reach, increase impact to raise the profile of cancer as a global health priority, and call for wider and more determined prevention strategies, the ´I can.´ appeals to each and every one of us to quite literally get moving in maintaining our own state of health through avoiding well evidenced risk factors associated with cancer including smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle.
“Given that an estimated third of all cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes, we can all better protect our health and thus make the right choices individually to decrease our own individual cancer risk. By so doing, we will collectively succeed in preventing millions of unnecessary deaths and suffering from the world´s most deadly disease,” comments Josep Tabernero, Director of VHIO.
“Only by effectively halting the rising global epidemic that is cancer community-wide, will we be able to tackle the issue of sustainability of healthcare systems as well as improve access to anti-cancer medicines for an increasing number of patients across borders. The cancer medicines market is estimated to surpass the 140 billion EUR mark by 2020, which is neither feasible nor manageable for any country – the time for better preventing this disease is now,” he concludes.
On behalf of VHIO, we encourage you to help build on the tremendous successes marked to-date by World Cancer Days (WCD). To discover more about WCD 04 February 2017, find out what you can do, make a pledge, and take action please visit:
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